


There's No Hell Like Home

by Omoni



Series: Slayers Revisited [4]
Category: Slayers (anime)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-21
Updated: 2010-10-21
Packaged: 2017-10-12 19:33:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/128298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lina and Gourry, after much adventure and action, decide to make a stop in Zephilia to check in on Lina's family. However, while there, it appears that there is more to their visit than they had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was an explosion that rocked through the marketplace. It was contained, and minute compared to some, but an explosion was an explosion.

Both Lina and Gourry stopped in place. Lina had stopped, because she started feeling a sinking in her gut. Gourry stopped, because he was eyeing Lina closely.

Lina caught him staring. She glared at him. "What are you staring at?" she demanded, her voice low and threatening.

Gourry peered at her closely. "You. How did you make that explosion? I didn't see you raise your hands or anything!"

Lina slammed her fist onto the top of his head as hard as she could in response. He squawked and toppled over. Lina gritted her teeth, her eyes fixed on the short distance away. She KNEW where the explosion had come from, and it wasn't her.

Zephilia was crowded at this time of year. The wine festival was close to starting, and it managed to attract a slew of tourists from all around the continent, even some from further south, beyond the old barrier. Lina looked around guardedly, catching a glimpse of a few familiar faces, only older, but mostly finding herself swamped by new ones, making her feel like she had been gone far longer than six years.

She waited until Gourry came to and dragged himself off the ground before she spoke. "That wasn't me, jackass," she said. "But I actually know who it was."

Gourry looked fearful. "You mean there is someone out there who is just as violent and as careless as you?" he wondered.

Lina grinned. "You better believe it." She grabbed his hand and dragged him. "Let's go!"

It was only a short distance away, but for some reason, it seemed longer. Her hometown hadn't changed that much, but Lina still felt a surge of nostalgic melancholy seize her at the sights that had. She found herself feeling younger, wondering if anyone had remembered her, and how she would feel upon hearing if they did or didn't. It was troubling.

"No, I DON'T accept the lie that it fell 'accidentally' into your BAG," came a loud, deep and obviously feminine voice. "Nor do I accept the lie that you feel CHEATED. I'm the one who was cheated, you dirty thief."

Lina blanched, then went pink, then grinned. She and Gourry rounded a corner, and there it was, in its full glory. It had grown bigger in the time she had been gone, but the setup was the same: a modest, hole-in-the-wall, catch-as-catch-can store. It had an open front, like a stall, but was obviously attached to the row of buildings surrounding it. It even had an upper floor, which Lina knew better than anyone housed modest but nice living quarters.

Standing behind the main counter was a tall, slender, auburn-haired older woman. Her hair was unruly and tied back into a plait, and her eyes, which were dark brown, were wide and flashing with her passionate words. She wore simple clothes, in plain colours, and she looked ready to take a bite out of someone.

Standing in front of her, were three people; two of them were obviously police officers. The third, sandwiched between them, was a small, shamefaced young woman, looking both irate and embarrassed all at once. She was, obviously, singed from head-to-toe.

"You're way too old to be such a baby," the woman continued, jabbing a finger in the young woman's direction. The young woman scowled. "Go find a job and be honest for once!"

"Your prices lack real honesty!" the girl shouted back. "You're the dirty one, you cheapoid!"

The woman went bright red, her eyes flashing. Lina and Gourry stared, watching the woman's eyes grow smaller and smaller in her rage. Without a word, the woman held out her hand, and a spark of white light emerged, crackling into lightning.

The girl suddenly cowered, wincing, and the two officers moved in front of her. "Ma'am," one said, bravely. "There's no need for further violence. We just needed to make sure she was the one that stole from you."

"Obviously!" The woman answered, rolling her eyes and clenching her fist, extinguishing the magic. "When have I ever been a liar, you morons? Get lost!"

The two officers bowed, and dragged the girl away.

The woman blew her bangs out of her face, her hands on her hips, watching them go.

"Wow, that was familiar," Gourry said lightly.

Lina shoved him, hard, to the side. He barely managed to shift away from the nearest stall, which would have been disastrous if he had made impact.

With a swallow, Lina started forward. making sure that she got into the woman's field of vision. It took a moment, but soon the woman, upon seeing her, called out, "No discounts for bony red-heads!"

Lina looked up, puffing out her cheeks, and the woman laughed, full-bodied and throaty. Lina crossed her arms over her chest. "That was mean!" she snapped.

The woman, in one fluid movement, jumped over the counter and stood in front of Lina. With a laugh, she grabbed the smaller woman in her arms and squeezed. Lina started laughing, hugging back.

Gourry stood back, smiling a little. He felt a little awkward, and a little shy, but he also felt a little touched.

"Mama, Mama, check it out!" Lina said in her bragging voice, pulling away and reaching into her mantle. She pulled out a bag of coins, and her mother raised her eyebrows. "From ONE haul," Lina crowed triumphantly.

"You're STILL pillaging from bandits?" was the reply. "Haven't you found a real job?"

"That is my real job," Lina answered sulkily.

"No, attacking bandits should only be done when money is tight," her mother answered back. She smacked her daughter lightly on the top of her head with her palm. "I would have thought you had settled down by now!"

Lina snorted. "Please?" But she went pink, and looked a little to the side at Gourry, who also blushed.

Her mother reached down and grabbed Lina's cheeks, tugging slowly, her face stern. "You still act like the brat that left here!" she scolded. "Go away and come back when you're grown!"

"Uh," Gourry started forward without helping himself. "If you do that, she may bite you!"

Both mother and daughter froze, their eyes on Gourry. Gourry suddenly went beet red, realising that perhaps he should have waited until he was introduced before he butted in.

"Excuse me, young man, but who the hell are you?"

Lina slapped her mother's hands away. "Mama, don't be rude, he's with me!" she protested. She grabbed Gourry's hand and dragged him over. "This is Gourry, Gourry Gabriev," she said. Gourry heard it in Lina's voice, and felt so touched he wanted to melt: it was the same tone of voice she used when bragging.

Her mother heard it too. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Well, nice to meet you," she said, sounding the opposite. "I'm Lina's mother, Luka."

"N-nice to meet you," Gourry admitted awkwardly. If he were to be honest, he would admit that Luka scared him a little.

"Hey, hey," Lina burst out, still holding onto Gourry's hand tightly. "Where's Daddy? Is he helping with the wine festival like always?"

Luka shook her head, rolling her eyes. "No. He's at home, sulking."

Lina laughed. "What did you do to him?"

Luka grinned, waving a hand a little. "I may or may not have insulted his skills as a smith," she admitted.

Lina winced. "Oh, man, so he's going to be self-righteous and whiny when I see him, isn't he?"

"Only around me," Luka agreed cheerfully.

Lina shifted, then looked a little skittish. "And Luna-onee-san?" she asked quietly.

Luka raised both eyebrows this time. "Working, today. You better be careful. Once word gets out that you're here, she's going to get you."

Lina paled. "It's been six years and she's still pissed?"

Luka threw up her hands. "You showed a picture of her naked!" she declared.

Gourry stumbled. "You did what?" he cried, his eyes wide. Lina looked up, then to the side, scratching her cheek and looking panicky.

Luka smirked. "In order to make some money for her trip, my dear little daughter, somehow, projected a still of her older sister, naked, in the towns square, charging admission for people to see it."

Lina went beet red, dropped Gourry's hand, and hid her face behind her hands. Gourry stared at her, suddenly impressed. "No wonder she wants to kill you," he breathed out.

Luka laughed. "Ah, she told you about that, huh?" she asked. "How long have you know Lina-chan?"

Gourry smiled. "Forever," he blurted out. Lina toppled to the ground, her humiliation complete. Gourry blinked, blushed, then stuttered out, "Er, sorry, not forever, it just seems like...uh...five years! Five years!"

"Death!" Lina shrieked, lunging at him. She made impact, taking him down onto the ground, grabbing two chunks of his hair and pulling as hard as she could. He yelped pathetically.

Luka, oddly, took it all into stride. "I don't blame you for feeling like five years is forever," she said. "I had to deal with her for thirteen. Imagine how long THAT felt!"

"What a horrible way to welcome me home!" Lina wailed, her eyes watery.

Luka jabbed a finger onto Lina's nose. "With no warning, no word, and no souvenirs, it's the least you deserve!"

Lina scowled. "I wanted to surprise you!" she protested.

"Ow," Gourry said belatedly. "Please stop?"

Lina tugged on his hair harder. "Look, he's my souvenir!" she concluded, grinning.

Luka, despite herself, laughed. It was a pretty ridiculous scene, after all. "Listen, I have a few more hours before close-up," she said, finally relenting. "Go on in and freshen up."

Lina jumped to her feet. "Are you cooking?" she wondered, her eyes wide.

Luka snorted. "No, I love my family, although you would have deserved it."

Gourry stood up, rubbing his head. Lina grabbed onto his arm again, dragging him towards the store. She waved to her mother, who waved back and jumped the counter again.

Lina stopped in front of a door that was hidden a bit away from the main stall. She pushed it open and dropped Gourry inside, rushing in and laughing happily. Everything was the same inside the house. It even smelled the same! She ran up the stairs.

Gourry watched her go, mystified. She seemed pretty happy to be home, he thought. Maybe we had put off the trip way too long. Lina seems pretty happy here.

He rubbed the back of his head a little, feeling out of place. He looked around, and saw that, despite the dinginess of the outside, the inside was actually really neat and tidy. The main floor was used mainly for storage, so there were piles of random things nestled everywhere, but they were organised. There were some windows, which let in a decent amount of light, and the air smelled faintly like pumpkin pie.

Carefully, he walked up the stairs. What he found above was again different, but homey and pleasant. The main room was wide and airy, and had more windows than below. It was all one level, so the bedroom, dining, and kitchen areas all shared the same space. The furniture was used but well-kept, and the floors were hardwood, with colourful rugs placed over them.

Gourry was impressed. It was small and a little crowded, but it looked like a nice place to live. He could easily imagine Lina living here, growing up here, having fun here...

"Gourry, Gourry!" she called excitedly. He blinked, following the sound of the voice down the hallway, and found her sitting in the middle of a bedroom, crouching before a somewhat dusty bookshelf. Lina grinned and held up an old, somewhat tattered notebook. "My old journal!" she giggled.

Gourry's eyebrows went up, and he darted forward, grabbing for it. Lina leaned backwards and managed to move it out of his reach before he could grab it. "Don't be rude!" she snapped. "You'll get your chance!" She opened it, leafing through a few pages. "I wanted you to hear what I wrote before I left."  
Gourry dragged himself up from the floor and sat down on the bed, cupping his chin in his hands, looking too eager to hear what was written. Lina raised her eyebrows at him, but read it anyway.

"'I'm leaving tomorrow!'" she began, the laughter in her voice. "'Finally I can learn more magic and be at the top of my game! But I'm out of cash...maybe onee-san can help with that?'"

Gourry laughed. "That's horrible," he said.

Lina replaced the journal, nodding. "Of course it was! But," she looked at him with a sly grin. "I did get the money."

Gourry threw himself back onto the bed, feigning utter exasperation. "You're too much!" he moaned, placing a hand on his forehead.

Lina leapt up, tackling him onto the bed. "Oof," he wheezed out. "You're not that bony, you know."

Lina growled, but stayed where she was. She looked to the side for a moment, then looked back. "Hey, Gourry," she said softly, her eyes wide. "Do you really mind being here?"

He shook his head. "It's a little scary, especially with your mom," he admitted. "But it's also sort of nice to picture you small."

Lina rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "The truth is, I have an ulterior motive."

"Oh?" Gourry wondered, stroking her hair idly.

She nodded. "You heard from my mother that my dad is a smith, right?"

Gourry nodded this time, and she continued. "And my mother is a sorceress," she added, hoping that he would catch on without much prompting.

"Yeah, no kidding!" he breathed out. "She sure fried that thief good!"

"Yes she did," Lina said slowly, trying to keep patient. "But that's not my point. My parents sell a bunch of crap, but they're known for their magical weaponry."

"Like the sword that Zel has?" Gourry wondered, pulling up a handful of her hair and taking a long inhale. Lina felt that, but let it go. It was a little flattering that he liked the smell of her hair.

"Mmhm," she agreed, feeling a little drowsy, despite herself. The trek had been long, and they hadn't had many stops at inns along the way. "So I was thinking that we could, you know, with their help, make you a sword, just for you."

Gourry's hand froze. Lina blinked, then looked up. He looked surprised, his eyes wide. "You would really do that for me?" he asked, his voice soft.

She was touched. She reached up and poked one of his eyes, forcing him to close it. "I promised, didn't I?" she chided gently.

Gourry smiled. The look on his face shook her to the core. It was so open, so loving, so vulnerable. She knew that he was only like this with, and yet it still never failed to amaze her. She smiled back.

Gourry pulled her closer, tugging her upwards so that their faces were level. He gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome," Lina replied, wrapping her arms around him and pushing herself close. The bed smelled musty and was rather small, but it was being rather accommodating for two people squished together.

"This is making me sleepy," Gourry admitted, his voice thick.

"Shh," Lina mumbled, her eyes already closed. Gourry obeyed, feeling his own eyes close. It was only moments later when the small, dusty room was filled with the sound of snoring.


	2. Chapter 2

A somewhat short figure darkened the doorway to the small room. In the dim lighting, her shoulder-length light purple hair looked darker than usual, but even in the dim lighting, the woman could see enough.

She stared, placed a hand on her hip, and sighed. She had been eager to get home, as her shift at the local restaurant had been more hectic than usual, and everyone was being cheap with their tips. At one point, she even had a brat throw up on her. It wasn't a nice feeling, and it stank.

But when she walked by her sister's long-abandoned bedroom, only to find it not only occupied, but occupied by two people instead of one, even the scent of a child's upchuck could be ignored.

Granted, her sister looked a little different. Taller, maybe. Longer hair. Still thin, though. The man, however, was a piece of work. Extremely tall, with yards of blond hair, as well muscular. With her sister held in his arms, she looked even smaller than usual, because he was just so BIG.

 _Interesting,_ the woman thought, raising an eyebrow that of course could not be seen through her curtain of bangs. _Lina-chan comes home with a man._

Slowly, Luna crept into the room, her hand reaching to her side. She drew out her butcher knife slowly. The blade glinted, not with reflection, but with pure light, but she only had to flicker her glance at it for it to die. When she was merely inches hovering over the tangled couple, she brought the knife up and carefully edged it closer to Lina's throat, grinning widely.

A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, tight. She jerked, a flare of her power responding to the sudden assault, making the blade of the knife shine. The man had her wrist in his huge grip, and his eyes were on her. And yet, she realised, impressed, he hadn't even sat up.

His face was hard for a moment, then suddenly relaxed. He let go of her wrist and yawned, stretching a little. "If you're going to scare her, that's fine," he whispered, draping an arm over his eyes. "Just don't use knives. They make me cringe."

Luna gaped at him, then hissed, "Excuse me, but who the hell are you?"

The man dropped his arm, smiling. "You sure sound like your mom!" he declared, forgetting to lower his voice.

Lina grunted and stirred. "Gourry, why are you loud?" she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Are you talking to yourself again? You know that freaks me out..." Slowly, Lina's eyes looked down, blinking. Her gaze made its way up gradually, and when they landed on Luna's face, they froze, going wide and fearful.

Luna grinned, waving the blade of her knife at Lina. "Welcome home, Lina-chan!" she declared.

The scream that ripped from Lina's throat could be heard from the street.

X X X

Luna held Lina in a pretty decent headlock as she spoke to Gourry over tea. Lina was whining, loudly, and Gourry found this amusing. He had known her for a long time, and watched her grow up into a woman, but now that she was home, in front of her family, it was like she took several steps backwards. She was acting like a kid, and it was amusing to him. It reminded him of when he first met her.

"Luna-onee-san, can't we just forget it?" Lina wailed, trying to squirm out of her sister's grip.

Luna sipped her tea calmly, her other arm not even shifting. "Never. Shut up, I'm talking to your friend here." She turned to Gourry. "So you're Gourry, huh? Where are you from? You have a bit of an accent."

Gourry smiled. "So do you," he replied, carefully avoiding the question. Of all of the things he didn't like to talk about, his home was at the top of the list.

Luna smiled a little. "Ah, well," she said off-handedly.

"Can I at least have so tea?" Lina whimpered, looking up at Luna with huge and watery eyes.

"You can't drink with my arm around your throat," Luna answered, "so no."

"What if you just move your damned arm?" Lina snapped.

"No."

"Gourry!" Lina cried, turning her gaze on him. He groaned inwardly. That look always got to him, and she knew it. "Save me!"

Gourry felt a little bad now. He hadn't intervened because he knew better than to interfere with family issues, but maybe it had gone on long enough. But then...he stole a gaze at Luna, who was sipping her tea calmly. She was very, very scary.

"She'll kick my ass," he said plainly. Luna jolted, spitting a bit of tea, and Lina cursed in frustration.

"I think I like you," Luna declared, getting to her feet. She squeezed her arm for a moment, bringing up a yelp from Lina, before letting go. Lina dropped to the ground, her hands at her neck. "I have to get changed," Luna said. "Catch your breath and be ready for more."

"WHAT?" Lina shrieked. "You had me in that headlock for a half an hour!"

Luna turned and went back to her room. "And you're a little pornographer. What's worse?" were her parting words.

Lina blanched, looking ashamed. Gourry got up and knelt in front of her. She looked back at him pathetically. "She's mean!" Lina simpered.

Gourry smiled, cupping her face in his hands. She blinked, looking closer at him. "What?" she wondered.

"Dunno," he admitted. "Seeing you here, seeing you with your family, it kind of makes you seem younger, don't you think?"

Lina pouted. "Are you saying I'm immature?" she wondered.

"See?" Gourry pointed out.

Lina paused, considering. She reddened a little. "I know what you mean. It's just, being here, actually being home, it makes me feel younger, you know? I can't help it. It's like...it's like it was all waiting for me. It's like time stopped."

Gourry didn't say anything. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn't finished, and sure enough, she went on. She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "And yet, time is moving forward, ongoing, and you're here with me."

Gourry smiled back at her, rubbing her cheeks a little.

"That's just weird, Lina-chan, squatting on the floor together," Luna said sternly, although the way she held herself belied the tone in her voice.

Lina jerked her head away and stood up, turning around and starting towards her sister with a furious look on her face. She had, after all, been interrupted in the midst of a romantic moment. It was hard to live those down.

When Lina was an inch away from nailing her with a mean left hook, Luna thrust out her hand and held the tip of her knife right at Lina's throat. The younger sister paused, the colour draining out of her face. She suddenly could not feel her feet.

Luna grinned, satisfied. The moment Lina was tipping over from shock, Luna had the sword sheathed and was walking past her back to the table. She sat down and resumed sipping her tea, like nothing had happened.

"That should be good enough," was all she said.

Gourry, meanwhile, was still on the floor. He had watched the exchanged with wide eyes, speechless. It was like watching a cart accident. Could anything get weirder than the two of them duking it out?

Oh, my, of course it could.

X X X

It was much later that It Happened.

There is an event that every man who seeks to date a girl dreads encountering. It is one that such men put of for as long as they can, sometimes so much as causing themselves bodily harm just to get out of it.

It happened to Gourry quite unexpectedly, and thus was not prepared. And thus, made an ass of himself.

Shortly after Luna caused Lina brain failure, the younger sister recovered and announced that she stank and was going to wash up before their mother came home. Gourry almost snuck in after her, but was nailed to the spot by Luna's hidden gaze, which he could feel through her hair.

They chatted for a while, Luna mostly asking for confirmation on a few rumours that had been circulating about Lina's adventures. The things that were confirmed were the least believable, apparently.

Luna had gotten up to get more tea when It Happened.

He seemed to materialise out of nowhere. He was a sturdy, compact man, with close-cropped, thinning black hair that was showing grey but had purple highlights in the black. His face was hairy, complete with sturdy eyebrows and a bush of a beard, close-cropped, but messily kempt. His eyes were narrowed and a sort of coppery green colour.

Gourry could easily outdo him in height, but he wasn't so sure about strength. Though a little skint in length, his arms were incredibly muscular. The man reminded Gourry of an incredibly muscly bulldog.

"Excuse me, but who the hell are you?" The man boomed, his gravelly voice echoing throughout the hall.

Gourry, who had been sitting quietly and innocently at the table, blanched, actually cowering a little. "I'm...with Lina?" he squeaked out.

The man's eyes widened. "Lina-chan!" he shouted. "Lina-chan has come home?" He looked thrilled, but only for a moment. Those hard eyes were on him again. "You're with Lina-chan, how?" he demanded.

Gourry stammered. "Uh, I'm...her...protector," he replied, in his panic falling upon the safest answer.

The man snorted. "Lina-chan is far too pushy and annoying to need a protector. Does she owe you money? Or, do you owe HER money and are acting as her dog?"

Gourry stumbled, his head almost smashing onto the table. "Dog?" he echoed.

"Daddy, stop it," Luna said calmly, emerging from the kitchen with a pot of fresh tea. The man turned to her and eyed her closely, but she wasn't done. "Lina-chan is nineteen now. You can't expect her to remain celibate."

Gourry wanted to strangle her. He suspected that she had been waiting to say something like that, to perfect her revenge against Lina for good.

Well, it worked.

"WHAT," the man boomed, his hands going up, turning to huge fists.

Gourry held up his hands, definitely cowering this time. "No, it's not like that! I love Lina, I really do!" He was babbling, and desperate. "Anything that we've done, we've done out of of love! I have no intentions of dishonouring her! I swear!"

Both Luna and the man gaped at him. The man was getting redder and redder, shaking from head to foot, and Luna's face was twitching. "Too much," she choked out, holding onto her sides and hiding her face, her shoulders shaking. "Too much!"

"Daaaadddeee!" There was a streak of orange, which collided with the man. Instantly, he seemed to shrink, smooth out, and become soft. Lina threw her arms around him, and he crushed her in a hug.

Gourry peered out from behind his hands. Lina looked nice and clean, wearing green clothes that he had never seen on her before. They were oversized and seemed to make her look even cuter.

"Daddy, I'm home!" Lina said needlessly, throwing her arms out and grinning.

"Yes," he agreed. "With a man!" the anger was back.

Lina grinned at him. "Gourry isn't a man. He's Gourry!" She walked over to him and pushed his hands down away from his face. "Gourry Gabriev, this is my father, Delmas!"

Gourry paled, wanting to hide his face in Lina's chest and never, ever look up. Delmas seemed to sense that, and his face hardened. Gourry ducked a little.

"Lina-chan," Delmas said, his voice loud. "You know what?" It sounded like a challenge.

Lina grinned, immune to her father's ranting. "What?" she wondered.

He reached forward, and with a big hand, ruffled Gourry's hair. "I like him!" he announced.

The moment Delmas's hand made contact with Gourry's hair, he thought he was going to die from fear. For the second time in less than an hour, someone in the Inverse household went brainless from shock.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, of course, I react," Luka was saying passionately over her plate, waving her hands as she spoke. "I blast the little twerp with my lightning. Little brat deserved it!"

It was late, and finally dinnertime. The entire family was seated around the modest, somewhat small square table. When Lina had managed to bring Gourry back to consciousness, he awoke to discover that both Luna and Delmas were in the kitchen cooking. Still wary of her father, Gourry suggested that he and Lina sit and wait for dinner in the next room. Lina, who understood him better than he sometimes gave her credit for, complied, sitting with him on the couch and stroking his long hair.

Luka came home an hour later, which was just as well, because Lina noticed that Gourry was drooling a little on her shirt from the smells that wafted from the kitchen. Immediately, Luka went into the kitchen, kicked her husband and daughter out, and tested the food that they had made. When she had approved, everyone sat and tucked in.

Lina, during her mother's account, stared at Luka with starry eyes. Gourry, who was in a half-trance from how delicious the food was, realised with a chill that this was probably where Lina had gotten her own destructive habits.

"Mama," Luna said quietly between mouthfuls, "we know. Papa knows. I know. Everyone on the damned street knows."

Luka gave her daughter a glower. "Don't deprive your mother of her gloating rights," she answered.

Luna, surprisingly, responded by actually mocking her mother's words. Gourry was so shocked by the exaggerated pantomime that he actually stopped eating. It was the first display of immaturity that he had ever seen on the older girl.

Lina leaned forward and started shoving mouthfuls of food from his plate into her mouth. Gourry protested, and without thinking or remembering where he was, grabbed Lina's cheek and pulled, successfully keeping her mouth open and thus preventing food from being swallowed. She shrieked and grabbed his hair, pulling hard, and he saw stars.

Delmas, Luka, and Luna soon forgot their own food, staring in surprise at the display of violence before them.

"Ciephied," Delmas grumbled, his eyes wide and showing mostly white. "You're still a little wolverine, Lina-chan!"

Lina froze, went bright red, and shoved Gourry away from her as hard as she could. Gourry stumbled, grabbing the side of the table and just barely managing to keep himself in his chair.

"Damn," Luna chuckled. "I had totally forgotten about that." She resumed her eating calmly.

Luka smiled, looking at her youngest daughter with so much love. "Ah, I taught you so well, Lina-chan. Never give up your food to anyone, and grab what you can at the expense of others."

Gourry gaped at her, and for the first time, found his voice. "You taught her that? Do you know how many years it's been since I've had an uninterrupted meal?"

Lina lowered her head, her ears bright red. Her family stared at him, then, all at once, smiled, then laughed, each in their own way.

After that, dinner was an open event. Lina eventually managed to override her embarrassment and soon was conversing with her family in her usual and energetic way. Even Gourry, who was still really intimidated by Lina's family, eventually relaxed enough to joke along, usually at Lina's expense.

 _Which,_ he thought, _was hilarious._

Once dinner was finished, Gourry insisted on helping with clean-up. When Luka protested, he insisted, mostly because he thought it was the right thing to , he admitted, there was a tiny part that still wanted to make a good impression on Lina's family. Eventually, they accepted.

Lina, upon hearing this, started tiptoeing her way out of the kitchen, trying to make herself as small as possible. Without even looking, Gourry reached over and grabbed her, dragging her back.

"Augh, let go of me, you manhandler!" she shouted, loud enough so that her family in the other room would hear. There was no reaction; apparently no one cared.

"You're helping," Gourry said calmly, pushing her gently to the sink. "Wash."

Lina glared at him, baring her teeth. "Why should I? I live here!"

Gourry stared at her, his eyes half-closed. Lina sighed. "I used to live here?" He didn't say a word. She growled, then shoved her hands into the sink. "I hate you!" she concluded.

Gourry rolled his eyes. "It's only fair. We didn't cook."

"Blegh!" Lina answered, throwing a plate into the second sink to rinse it. Gourry caught it with ease and dried it.

It soon became a routine, one that not only calmed Lina, but soothed her nerves. She realised, with a hot face, that she was acting like a spoiled brat, but for some reason she just couldn't help it. She was nervous, and, for the most part, scared. She hadn't told her family that she was coming home with Gourry, and she didn't even know how they felt about that yet. What would they say if she told them that she wanted to settle down with him? Would they judge her?

 _But then,_ she thought, biting her lip and stealing a sideways glance at him. _But then, they really seem to like him, and he, them. Maybe it won't be a problem. And even if it is, I'll just_ leave. _Gourry is...my whole world..._

"Lina," Gourry chided with a smile, "you've stopped washing."

"Ah, right right right," she stammered, blushing deeper. Gourry looked over at her and grinned. It was kind of nice being al homey like this with her. It was like training for when they got married.

Soon both of them had pink faces, although for totally different reasons.

Once the dishes were done (which took a while, because Lina had to show Gourry several times where the dishes went, since he kept forgetting), they returned to the other room to find the others leaned in close together, speaking quietly and seriously. Lina frowned right away, her eyes flashing with anger, but Gourry shrugged and rubbed her shoulder a little, and she calmed down. What would come, would come.

Together, they sat down, side-by-side, on the opposite couch. Luna stood up and slipped away, making some excuse up about "writing a manual for Spot" ( _Who the hell was Spot?_ Lina wondered crossly), which left the two couples together.

There was a small silence.

"Uh," Lina said finally, "um. So, hi. I'm home. This is Gourry. I met him on the road." She gestured to him, her face dead-serious. "He's not a pervert."

Gourry slapped a hand to his forehead, groaning. Usually it was HIM that made those kinds of blunders!

Lina's cheeks reddened, but her eyes hardened. "Nor is he taking advantage of me. I'm not home to mooch, or because I have a debt I need you to pay off. I'm home mostly because I took way too long to come back. But also because I have a huge favour to ask. I need you both to have open minds about this. It's important to me."

Gourry blinked in surprise. Her voice was so hard and sombre that it made him nervous. It was the same voice she used when she talked to someone with seniority.

During her speech, Delmas and Lukas were quiet, sitting motionless and keeping their gazes on their daughter. There was a slight twitch in Luka's mouth and Delmas's eye when Lina said "pervert", but other than that, there were no reactions.

Lina took a deep breath, stood up slowly, and bowed down low, something that Gourry had never, ever seen before. He gaped at her.

"Please teach me how to forge magical swords," she said softly. Her eyes were shut tight, and her arms were rail-straight and plastered to her sides, her fists clenched. It was a huge request.

Her parents guarded their secrets well, which made them the best, and had never, ever taken an apprentice. Lina had decided, on their way home, that not only would she find a sword special for Gourry, but that it would be her that would make it. But while she knew how to enchant blades, she had never actually MADE them before, nor had she assisted in making a blade from scratch that began with magical properties.

 _But,_ she thought fiercely, _if I'm going to settle down, I need a trade. And I know this is one I...WE...can do._

Luka leaned back, her eyes closing, and Delmas rubbed his forehead hard, something that Gourry had seen Lina do so many times that he instantly warmed to the older man.

"Ciephied," Luka breathed out, "I thought you were pregnant."

Lina stumbled to the ground in one tumble. Gourry slammed his head down on the table in his own shock. In a split second, Lina had gotten to her feet and was shrieking, _"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"_

"Sorry," Delmas grunted, his hand still on his forehead, "but I thought that, too. Give us some credit, Lina-chan," he looked up and rolled his eyes at her.

Lina's eyes blazed. "Credit _denied!_ I'm not a moron who doesn't know how to use contraceptive magic!" she waved her hands in the air. "I can't believe this!"

Gourry patted her gently on the leg. "Now, look, it was an honest mistake," he said, forcing a smile. Inside, though, he felt just as annoyed. How careless did everyone think they were? "Let's get back to the matter at hand."

"Gourry, did you hear what they said?" she demanded. Gourry raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing, and instantly she got it. Of course he had heard it; there was just nothing to be said or done about it.

"Listen, Lina-chan," Luka said, her eyes still closed. "Your father and I, for all of his mediocre skill-" Delmas made a furious face at her at this, "-are the best magical smiths in this country. We give our secrets to no one."

Lina deflated, her anger gone in this one denial. The look on her face was so sad that Gourry suddenly realised how much it had meant to her, and it made him feel both miserable and touched.

"But," Delmas said.

Lina looked up, her eyes sparking to life a little.

"We're old," Delmas grumbled, propping his chin on his hand and staring at his youngest daughter. "We need some sort of heir or whatever to keep our business going. We're merchants, after all. We need to keep on selling."

Lina was trying not to fall into a trap, but she felt her hands shaking with excitement. "So...?" she whispered.

"Oh, Lina-chan, of course we'll teach you, you little dummy," Luka snapped. "We've been waiting for you to grow up all of these years. The smithy was always yours."

"B-but Luna-san," Lina stammered, unable to feel her feet from the shock, "she was able to enchant her butcher knife..."

"Oh, please," Luka snorted. "We love our little Knight, but that's who she is: a Knight. She doesn't have time for our little oven."

Delmas nodded. "It's later than we expected, but we're glad you finally woke up."

Lina stared, shaking from head to foot. Then, with a scream, she lunged forward, hugged her father, then her mother, and then, to his shock, Gourry. The last received some sloppy kisses as well.

"Gourry!" Lina squealed in his ear. "You're going to get your sword!"

Gourry smiled and hugged her back, feeling the excitement catch on, as well as the sudden meaning of his words. "Thank you," he whispered, so that only she could hear it.


	4. Chapter 4

"No."

"WHAT? After what I screamed at you before? After all of the emphasis I put on it? After our wonderful bonding moment?"

"Yes, and no."

"Whyyyyyyy?"

Gourry winced, holding his head in his hands. It had been a simple question, but now he wished that Lina hadn't asked.

"No, don't ask," he had said to her. "Let's just try it first, see if they notice, and if they don't, no one's the wiser."

"Gourry," Lina had said sternly. "I don't like being dishonest, and besides, we're all adults here. I'm sure they'll understand."

Apparently not, Gourry thought dryly.

"My house, my rules," Luka answered sternly. "You don't like it? Go to an inn."

Lina bared her teeth, her eyes blazing. "You're being unreasonable. It's not like Gourry and I have no self-control and will spend the whole night at it like rabbits!" she hissed.

Gourry went bright red at the thought, and was glad that Lina wasn't in the room.

"Augh, gods!" Gourry heard Delmas's voice from further down the hall. "Nononono."

"I'm saying we WON'T!" Lina snapped.

"No," Luka said again, her voice so firm that it clearly spelled the end of the conversation. "I see no ring on your finger. You will not sleep with some man in the same bed under this roof. He sleeps on the couch, or not at all."

"Since when have you been so old-fashioned?" Lina demanded, holding her hands up in a helpless manner. "Since when has it mattered if anyone is married or not? Wasn't Luna born before you were-"

"Hey, leave me out of this!" Luna's voice cut in.

Luka broke in abruptly. "Look, you asked, I said no. If you didn't want to hear the answer, you should have just done what you wanted and we would have been none the wiser."

Gourry sighed deeply.

"But you asked, which I appreciate, but the answer is still 'hell no'!"

"HELL NO," Delmas boomed from wherever he was.

Lina winced, but her eyes were cold. "Okay then. We'll go stay in an inn."

Gourry got to his feet and rushed over. "Lina, no, listen..."

Lina held up her hand. Luka crossed her arms over her chest, as if waiting for something. Lina inhaled sharply, then said, as calm as she could, "I respect your wishes, Mama, but because I love Gourry the way I do, and have grown used to him by my side, he and I will spend the night in an inn. If you like, we can return in the morning for breakfast, and then discuss my apprenticeship further. Does that sound fair?"

Luka raised an eyebrow, then grinned. She turned and called over her shoulder, "Told you!"

The sound of Delmas's grumbling was the only reply.

Luka slapped her hand down on the top of Lina's head. She gave the younger woman a shake. "It's fine. You can stay in your room with Gourry."

Lina stared, her eyes narrowing. "What."

Luka looked thrilled. "It was a test! We wanted to see if you could actually be mature for once!" She gave Lina a final shake, then let go and walked away, chuckling heartily.

"BUT NO HANKY-PANKY," Delmas boomed.

Lina gaped at her mother's retreating form. Gourry, feeling exhausted already, leaned in close and nudged her. She leaned against him in a crumple. "Why is my family so _stupid_?" she moaned.

X X X

Despite the shaky start, the evening actually went well. Lina's original bed was actually pretty small for two people, especially for one of Gourry's size, and in the end, it was either squish together and risk severe falls, or set up a makeshift bed on the floor of the room. Since both were hardened travellers, it was a relief to be in a room with a comfy floor, so neither minded the second option (although Gourry, being Gourry, did offer to stay on the floor while Lina took the bed, which was denied).

When they were settled, Lina curled up close to Gourry, surprising him. Usually it was he that initiated the close contact between them.

Lina snuggled into his chest, breathing in his scent, it mingling with the scents of home. It made her feel older and younger all at once. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm so tired."

Gourry pulled her in closer. "Of what?" he wondered.

Lina smiled. It was just the right way to answer. "I'm tired of running around, Gourry," she said softly, her smile fading.

"I know," Gourry nodded, closing his eyes and pulling the blanket over the two of them. "It's been a hectic few years, hasn't it?"

"To say the least," Lina agreed. She reached up and clutched onto the front of his pajama top tightly, biting her lip. She opened her eyes halfway. "Gourry," she said, her voice so soft that it sounded more like a whisper of wind. "Don't you think we've waited long enough?"

Gourry opened his eyes. "If you're worried because of what your mom said-"

"No, it's not that," Lina shook her head, although it was a little bit of that. "It's just...don't you think we should?"

Gourry shrugged. "I always just assumed we would. There's no rush, is there?"

"No, I guess not." Lina agreed.

"Besides," he went on, yawning in between. "You still need to learn that forgey-thingy first, right?"

He sounded drowsy. It was lulling her into sleepiness. "Mmhm," she agreed.

"It would be useful to brush up on that, too," Gourry was saying, his voice sluggish. "I know how to forge, but not with magic. I could use a reminder."

"Mm," Lina replied, nuzzling in closer and looping her arms around his waist, one over his stomach, one under him and around his back.

"Magic, huh?" Gourry said, before he, too, was brought into sleep.

X X X

It was rare, but occasionally, Lina dreamt of things, significant things. It happened after Rezo was killed, and it happened when Gourry was kidnapped by Phibrizzo, so while it wasn't unusual, it was still rather rare.

That night, on the floor of her childhood home, Lina had a similar dream.

 _She was tiny, barely able to run on her own legs. She hadn't had her first growth spurt yet, so she was still chubby and ungainly. Her hair, a frizzed-out mess, obscured her dirty and grinning face. She stood in front of her older sister, who was also alot younger._

 _"Magic is everything, Lina-chan," Luna was saying, her voice high-pitched but wise-sounding. "It's the life of the world, the blood of the universe. Light and dark, good and evil, and all in between, it's everything."_

 _"Why?" Lina asked._

 _"Why what?"_

 _"Why is there bad and evil?" Lina demanded._

 _"Because that's part of life," Luna answered sternly. "Every single lifeform on this planet has the means to be either good or bad, and at least once in each life they are either one or the other. It all depends on how you make your choices, Lina-chan."_

 _"Oh," Lina nodded slowly. She liked Luna, and liked how she would talk to her normally like this._

 _"When you're older, you'll probably end up doing things that may brand you as evil," Luna continued, "but if you rise up from it, and ultimately are good, it will be vindicated."_

 _"Vindi-what?"_

 _"It will be made up for."_

 _"Ohhh."_

 _Lina's attention wandered, her eyes going to the side. In that split second, everything changed. She was no longer a child learning the meaning of life at her sister's knee; she was fifteen, standing in front of a piece of the Dark Lord, her heart racing, panicking, gasping for breath as she spoke the words that could make or break the universe._

 _And again, before the childlike Dark Lord of Death, this time knowing the cost, and not caring, all for the sake of the one man that she loved._

 _Was that her moment of evil? Had she had her moment of evil?_

Lina awoke, not with a start, but just by her eyes snapping open. She breathed in deeply, trying to remember where she was. It took her a few moments, the disorientation so great, but eventually she remembered. She and Gourry were tangled once again, and carefully, she pulled away, got to her feet, and trudged out of the room, desperate for some water.

She went into the kitchen and used the well pump. The water was icy cold and slightly metallic tasting, full of nostalgia and comfort. She drank deeply, her eyes unfocused. She listened, and the house was quiet and peaceful, broken by the occasional snore.

Lina wasn't sure how long she stood there, sipping water and staring into space, but soon she sensed that her sister was behind her. She didn't turn, but whispered, "You still do that really well."

"What's the point of being an older sister if you can't sneak up and scare your younger sister?" Luna replied, standing behind her and copying the way she stood, leaning on the kitchen counter.

"Heh," Lina said, managing a half-smile. "I guess. You sure know how to scare me effortlessly, even now."

"You totally deserved it, and you know it," Luna answered.

"I know it," Lina agreed.

For a brief moment, they stood together in silence. Then Luna, her voice sounding careful, said, "Why are you awake, imouto?"

Lina sighed. "I don't even know."

Luna brushed her bangs out of her face, and for a rare moment, Lina caught a glimpse of her eyes, which were a stunning red-brown colour that glinted brightly in the dark. "Yes, you do," she corrected, her mouth set into a frown.

"Yes, I do," Lina agreed, looking away glumly. "I'm just...have you ever woken up one day and realised you were just...done?"

"Seeing as how I never began, I can't say I've had that experience, imouto," Luna said, smiling a little.

Lina nodded slowly, taking her quip seriously. "I've always had wanderlust. Always. I can't stay in one place for very long. I've been everywhere, mostly, and until I stepped foot here, I wanted to keep going. The moment I saw Zephilia and my feet touched the soil, it died. And you know what, Luna-san?" Her eyes met her sister's, wide and passionate. "You know something? I was glad to feel it die. I thought, 'good riddance'!"

Luna smiled at her. She reached up, touched Lina's cheek with the palm of her hand, and said, "You're an adult, imouto."

Lina shook her head, pulling away from her touch. "I don't feel like one," she admitted. "I just feel so...tired."

Luna laughed. "Sounds like adulthood to me."

Lina made a face, and Luna said, "Learn the trade, imouto. Then go from there." She gave Lina's cheek another pat, then walked back down the hallway.

Lina's long sigh echoed throughout the hall. She had no idea what to do. And it scared her.


	5. Chapter 5

Carefully, at the crack of dawn, a shadowy figure made its way into Lina's room.

Tangled up on the floor, fully clothed, the figure noted in relief, both Lina and Gourry were sleeping heavily, snoring in a symphony of grating noises. Lina was drooling on Gourry's head, but judging from the smile on his face, he didn't seem to mind.

Slowly, the figure reached to the side and drew out a long butcher knife. It glinted slightly in the light.

 _This time,_ Luna thought, grinning from ear to ear.

As soon as Luna was an inch away from making contact with her sister's cheek, Lina's eyes snapped open, and she growled. She moved to the side, rolling out of the way, just as Luna swung her dagger in a full arc.

Gourry awoke a split second later, yelping and moving as far off to he side as he could.

Lina lunged from the floor to her clothes, diving her hand into the pile and snatching up her dagger. Within seconds, she had it up and parried against Luna's next hit. The sound of metal-on-metal rang through the early morning air.

"DAMMIT," a gruff, male voice shouted. "I GOT USED TO BEING WITHOUT THAT HORRID NOISE."

Gourry went pale and buried his face under the nearest blanket as the two sisters engaged in a rather intense knife fight right in front of him. When Lina managed to chase Luna out of the room, instead of giving up and letting her go, she chased her older sister down the hallway, shrieking about beauty sleep and delicate maidens.

There were several more clangs of metal, more shrieks, and alot of chuckling from Luna. When Gourry finally mustered up the courage to emerge from his nest, he was just in time to watch as Luka rushed past him and smashed her fists down towards her daughters, one fist for each head.

The double squeals and shouts of protest were louder than the clangs of metal had ever been.

"No!" Luka snapped. Gourry peered out, and saw that both girls were cowered before their mother on the ground, a knife or dagger in hand, their arms held over their injured heads. "No knife fights in the house! Take it outside!"

Gourry blinked in disbelief. Was this really how normal families were?

Lina looked up at Luka with watery eyes. "That's not fair, Mama!" she wailed. "I was sleeping just fine until she came in and started it!"

"Huh," Luna snorted. "You started it by coming home. I was finishing it."

Lina felt a surge of anger, and she held her dagger up, the blade glinting with her fury. "I'm going to kick your ass!" she shouted.

"Hah!" Luna laughed. "Bring it!"

Luka's fists came down again, harder, and both girls were brought to squeals again.

"Ah, yes," Delmas said from Gourry's side, scaring him so badly he almost lost control of his bladder. "The morning knife-fights. Actually sorta missed it."

Gourry felt the blood leave his face. "This is normal?" he wondered.

Delmas nodded sagely. "Absolutely. It's an Inverse family trait. Poor Luka-chan; she hates having to clean up the blood."

"Blood?" Gourry squeaked.

Delmas reached over and ruffled Gourry's already messy and somewhat sticky hair, guffawing heartily. "You have alot to learn about the Inverse women," he boomed as he walked away.

Gourry scratched his head, then pulled his hand away and made a face. "Ugh. Lina drooled on me again."

Lina, from her spot on the floor, glowered at him. "What did you say?" she snapped.

Luna got up and sheathed her knife. Lina gaped at her from the floor. "You wear that thing to bed?" she demanded, appalled, but also a little impressed.

Luna rolled her eyes and walked away, going into the kitchen to find something to eat. "Shut up. I have to get ready for work, and don't need chipmunk chatters distracting me."

Lina got to her feet. "Distract you from what?" she demanded. "Chewing?"

Luka glowered at the two of them. "Outside," she growled. Delmas reached her side and gave her a kiss on the top of her head, which seemed to be like a button, for she relaxed instantly afterward.

Lina sneered at Luna a final time, then yawned and walked back down the hallway, meeting Gourry in the doorway to her room. She smiled her lazy smile, feeling a flutter of happiness at the sight of him in front of her, in her childhood home. "Hello," she said, reaching up and cupping his cheek gently.

Gourry sighed, closing his eyes and relaxing. At least her morning greeting with HIM hadn't changed into insanity. "Hello," he agreed.

"It's a little early," she observed, "but we could get a head start on the day and take a look around before I start my training."

Gourry blinked. "Look around?"

Lina nodded. "We didn't have time to properly look around yesterday. I want to take inventory. If we're going to stay here a while, I want to know what I have to deal with."

Gourry tilted his head to one side. "Are we staying here a while?" he wondered.

Lina smiled. "Yep. A few weeks at least. I have to learn the trade, and you have to learn to help me. So you won't be bored, if that's what you're worried about."

Gourry nodded, his eyes going a little unfocused. He suddenly could smell the distinct scent of bacon, and no longer cared about anything but eating.

Lina went on, hoping to ground him. "You said yourself that you wanted to improve on your own smithing skills," she said, trying to ignore the glazed over look in his eyes. She sighed. Why do I bother?

"Gourry," she snapped.

"Bacon," Gourry answered.

Lina rolled her eyes but dragged him over to the kitchen table. The conversation could wait.

X X X

While Lina waited for Gourry to finish washing up and dressing, she sat in her room, eyeing the bookshelf before her with a red face.

Some of the books so carefully organised and placed in the shelf were embarrassing. While she prided in her sense of realism, when she was a child, she apparently had alot of ideas that she, thankfully, grew out of.

Probably the most obvious one was her idea of princes. There were alot of fairy tale books that, when she flipped through them, brought back horrible memories of princes swooping down to marry her and grant her all of their money and estates.

The other horrible reminder of how silly she had been was a sketchbook full of sloppy and crooked drawings of herself in long and elaborate dresses. She had never been much of an artist (unless you counted magical symbols), and her skill was even less evident in the depictions.

Very early in her travels, she learned that, when on the road, dresses were as impractical as not carrying water. They tangled, ripped, got caught in things, and got dirty very easily. They also hindered her mobility. She had actually started out in a skirt, if she allowed herself to remember, before being forced to, on the nearest town out of Zephilia, break down and buy pants. After that, she never went back.

Lina shuddered and shoved the book back into its place, leaning back and sitting down on the floor. She groaned, loudly; back then she would have given anything to get into messes. Now she just wanted to sleep.

"Lina-chan," Luka said softly from the doorway. Lina looked up and blinked. "Your father and I are going to open up shop."

Lina made a face. "This early?" she wondered.

Luka smiled sweetly, but Lina saw the thin streak of teasing. "Your father needs all of the time he could get," she replied. "Plus, profit."

Delmas, who had been walking by, growled at the first part of the sentence, then made a sniffing noise.

"Should I go with you?" Lina wondered.

Luka shook her head. "No, we have to discuss how we're going to start, your father and I, and need some time to prep the forge. Spend an hour or two torturing Gourry-kun, and then come and meet us."

Lina went pink, suddenly shy. "Mama, tell me the truth...what do you really think of him?"

Luka leaned against the doorway. Her eyes flickered to the side for a brief second, so brief that Lina decided she had imagined it. "What do you think of him, Lina-chan?" she shot back.

Lina smiled faintly, looking to the side. Just thinking about him, especially here, in her home, made her feel all weird and silly. "I love him," she said simply. "He's dumb, and sometimes sexist, and makes fun of my breasts, but..." She shut her eyes, her smile widening. "I still love him."

Luka said, "I know. It's easy to see that, Lina-chan. While he's not the man I had initially pictured you with...well..."

Lina frowned, looking up. "What kind of man did you picture me with?"

Luka scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed. "Well, because of your personality, I always expected you to come home either a very submissive man, or... a woman."

Lina fell to the ground with a thud, groaning.

"But Gourry-kun is just so strong-willed, clearly with a mind of his own," Luka went on, as if Lina hadn't reacted. "I enjoy the challenge he offers you."

"So do I," Lina muttered. "Bring home a _woman._ What the hell?"

Luka looked up innocently. "Well, we can't always be correct, can we?"

Lina stayed on her back, her eyes shut. "Oh, whatever. So you like him?"

"Yes, of course. Otherwise he would have been electrocuted by now, don't you think?"

Lina laughed a little. "Yeah, good point."

"Well, I'm off. See you two later."

Lina's eyes snapped open. Instead of her mother standing in the doorway, there stood Gourry. He smelled like soap, and his hair was wet and braided. He was blushing.

"Oh, hi," Lina smiled, not moving from her place on the floor. "You look pink."

Gourry rubbed the back of his head shyly. "Um, I, uh...sorta heard what you said."

Lina stared, her smile fading. So Luka HAD looked over to the side, and she had been looking at GOURRY. _What a sneak!_

She felt herself go pink. "Oh," she said, frantically going over her words and making sure she hadn't been too rude.

She shouldn't have bothered worrying. Gourry grinned, the grin turning into a leer. "So..." he said, his voice oily. "Bring home a woman, huh?"

Lina darted at him and tackled his legs, bringing him down so hard that he got winded. She then got up and walked away, snapping out, "I hate you all!"

Gourry laughed and laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

"Uhh," Gourry scratched his cheek, making a face. "I'm not exactly sure what we're looking at."

Lina waved her arms in happiness. "This, my dear Gourry-chan, is where it all began!"

Gourry looked at her skeptically. "I think you're making fun of me," he said flatly.

If you think about it, it's really not that difficult to assume this. Gourry and Lina stood in front of what looked like a medium-sized crater, littered with woebegone plants, cracks in the dirt, and the occasional shallow puddle of sludge. Even the sky seemed dark over it. It was a miserable, ugly place. and Gourry just couldn't figure out why Lina was so excited about it.

Lina puffed out her cheeks. Gourry reached up and poked the air out, earning him a kick in the shin.

"I'm not making fun of you!" Lina cried, waving her arms again. "This is the best part of the whole tour!"

Gourry rubbed his shin sulkily. "I liked the rest of the place better," he answered.

Lina lunged forward and grabbed him, holding him in a headlock and dragging him to the edge of the crater. "Gourry, LOOK. This was a LAKE."

Gourry winced, but obeyed. He stared closer, and recognised that what she was saying was true. What he didn't get, however, was why it was so important.

Lina grinned, her eyes shining. "Gourry, this is the birth place of the Giga Slave," she breathed out happily.

Gourry felt a chill, and he shivered. He hated those words, always would, and being in the very site where the words were invented...it make him unhappy.

"No wonder the sky looks dark," he answered, his yes dark.

Lina peered at him closely, picking up on his tone. "Gourry. what's wrong? I thought you would like to see this."

Gourry slipped out of her grasp. "I guess. I mean, okay, I'm glad you learned it and stuff, and I'm glad we've been able to depend on it in the worst of times, but..." he shivered, rubbing his arms. "Lina, I really hate that spell."

Lina stared at him, surprised. He had never, ever displayed such an open revulsion for something before, unless it was coffee.

"Gourry, I was TWELVE YEARS OLD when I created that spell," she went on, unable to comprehend what he had just said. "It's a huge deal!"

Gourry nodded slowly. "I know, and I think you're really smart for being able to do it, but I still hate that spell. Sorry."

Lina then saw it: a dark, wavering light in his eyes. She closed the gap between them and held his face in her hands, forcing him to look down at her. "I'm sorry," she said softly, meaning it. "It's over now, okay? The spell is sealed, and I'll never use it again. We have no reason to." She smiled.

Gourry nodded slowly, but he wondered. He knew that, more than likely, Xellos was gone and he wouldn't come back, especially after the way Lina had blown up at him. But he felt another chill, deep down inside, and he wondered...he would always wonder.

"Hey, you," Lina called him back, kissing his nose gently. "Come baaaack."

Gourry blinked at her, and she smiled at him, teasing. "How could that have been boring?" she wondered.

Gourry looped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He kissed her on the lips, hard, passionately, wanting the present to erase the horrible past. She kissed him back, purring deep in her throat, and he loved that, loved her, and never wanted it to end.

After a long moment, Lina pulled away, threading her fingers with his braid. "Wanna grab a bite?" she wondered, smiling, her cheeks pink.

He nodded, and she pulled him away, already chattering about the many great places in the area. Gourry looked over his shoulder as she dragged him away, taking one last look at the place behind him, before turning away and listening to the love of his life brag about food.

X X X

After their meal, Lina decided to check in on her parents. Gourry insisted on going with her, but she said to him, flatly, "Fine, but stay out of the way. My parents get mental around their forge."

Gourry wasn't sure what she meant, but decided not to find out firsthand, and let her lead. When she peered around the corner, he stayed behind. He felt the heat already, just from a few feet away from the doorway. He couldn't imagine how hot it was.

And then suddenly he had a panicked thought, and he grabbed Lina's arm and pulled her back. When she turned, his eyes were so full of worry that she bit back her snap of protest.

"Are you sure you're okay with going in there?" he wondered softly. "I mean...after..." he bit his lip, his eyes wavering.

Lina stood, speechless. She had never seem him like this before, so open and worried. Well, she had, but not in broad daylight and not in the middle of a battle.

Then it clicked for her. "You mean after my dealing with the backfired Fire Fury?" she finished for him. When he nodded, she shook her head. "No, Gourry. While I wasn't allowed in there, I grew up around talk of it. It'll be okay."

Gourry nodded slowly, but the way he looked at her reminded her of a little kid trying to accept something he doesn't like. It was kinda cute, and she reached up and patted his cheek lightly before pulling his hand away from her arm. He watched her go, but didn't protest again.

It wasn't unfounded, she thought, swallowing hard as she felt the heat hit her face. She did feel a little shaky, walking forward into the heat of the force. But when she heard the sound of metal hitting metal, and felt the faint hum of magical power in the air, she relaxed. This was home, not a threat.

"Daddy...!" Lina called as she tiptoed in. The air was hot, and full of steam, but she could still see around her, and could sense her father's presence nearby.

For a forge, it wasn't much. About the shape of a gutted-out cube, it was made mostly of tough stone and dirt. The floor, which was the dirt part, was as flat as possible, mostly from the amount of feet that had tramped over it. It was covered with oils, greases, and bits of metal that couldn't be reused.

The walls, while dirty and somewhat sooty, were covered with various degrees of tools: pitchforks, rakes, hammers, spades, and the like. Occasionally there was a sword or spear, but most of those were in the store. The tools themselves were theirs.

The oven was the best part. It was a smaller sort of cube, although wider, made of the hardest granite anyone had ever seen. Within it, the fire roared, eternal and unforgiving in its intensity. Delmas worked hard to keep the fires burning all year round, but sometimes it was difficult, and only burned in small embers. It was never without at least a candle's worth of flame, however.

Below it was the standard smith's fare: a bench, hard anvil, hammer, and bucket of water. Hanging over the oven were several pairs of hard iron tongs, in various sizes, and on top of the oven by itself was a long metal blow-tube.

Seated on the bench, using another blow-tube, was her father, wearing a sleeveless shirt, cut-off shorts, and a leather apron. Delmas's eyes looked somewhat cross-eyed as he focused ahead of him, concentrating on the bubble of hot glass he was blowing up gently. He held up one hand at her and then ignored her.

Lina looked around. In her childhood, she had only been allowed brief glimpses into the hollowed forge; now that she was inside it for real, she was both enchanted and disappointed. She wondered if she was getting jaded as she grew older.

With a groan, Delmas pulled the tube away and dunked the globe of hot glass into the bucket. It made a hissing noise, and more steam invaded the air.

"Lina-chan!" he boomed, wiping his brow. "You're late!"

She smiled brightly, holding out her arms. "I was hungry!" she answered happily.

"Yes, but now all of the blood from your brain is in your stomach!" Delmas scolded. "How do you expect to learn that way."

Lina made a face. "Gross," she answered.

"And this!" Delmas gave Lina's loose and disheveled hair a gentle tug. "You're a hazard! You expect me to allow you to sit before the anvil looking like this?"

Lina blinked. "Daddy, I've never even been in here before. How am I supposed to know what to do or how to dress?"

"Your MOTHER was supposed to prepare you!" His voice got louder. "BUT I ASSUME SHE WAS TOO BUSY RATTLING PEOPLE UPSIDE DOWN FOR THEIR MONEY."

From somewhere far off, there came the musical reply of, "I can't hear you, lalala-lala!"

Lina slapped a hand to her forehead. "Can we please get started?" she wondered weakly.

Delmas stood up and slapped his hands down on her shoulders, turning her right around. He pushed her out of the forge and into the cooler air of the day. Lina squeaked out several protests, but he ignored her. Once outside, he let her go and stared her down.

"Lina-chan!" he snapped, his eyes blazing. She gulped. (Gourry, who had been waiting for his cue, cowered behind the closest wall; Delmas still terrified him).

Carefully, Lina said, sweetly, "Yes, Daddums?"

Delmas's eye twitched at that, but he didn't pause. "You can't just traipse into a smith's haven and start banging a hammer around for the hell of it!"

Lina puffed out her cheeks, looking annoyed, but he continued, somehow getting on a tangent and partially forgetting that she was there. His eyes flashed, and he stood up, flexing his arms. "It's about passion, about devotion, about giving your blood, sweat, tears, but especially sweat, into what you're doing!"

Gourry, from his wall, peered over, blinking. Despite the furious tone in Delmas's voice, Gourry found that he was actually interested in what was being said. He listened closer now.

"It's about hard work, muscles, facing the flames of adversity, and being a man!" Delmas boomed, his eyes getting a little crazy.

"I'm not a man!" Lina interjected hotly.

"It's about giving yourself to the job, putting a part of your soul into what you're doing!"

Gourry found himself drawn away from the wall, and he crept over to Lina's side, his eyes bright.

"No matter how small the task, no matter how menial the job, EVERYTHING YOU ARE GOES INTO THAT TOOL. YOU BECOME THE FORGE'S FLAMES!"

Gourry was nodding, a big smile on his face. He could completely relate to this.

Lina, in the meantime, had seated herself on the ground and pulled out a book, leafing through it half-heartedly, wearing a look of annoyance.

"BEFORE YOU TOUCH A HAMMER YOU MUST FIRST TOUCH YOUR SOUL-oooowww!"

Delmas's speech was instantly interrupted when a folded-up fan slapped down on the top of his head. Luka stood behind him, one hand on her hip, the other still holding up the fan. Delmas put a hand to his head, looking wounded and watery-eyed. It was quite a transformation.

"Luka-chan," he growled. "I wasn't finished."

"Oh, you're finished, alright, old man!" Luka answered, her eyes blazing.

Lina put her book away, getting to her feet. "Hi, Mama!" she said brightly. "Thanks!"

Gourry stared. From Delmas, a grown man, of considerable strength, who was leaning over and rubbing his head mournfully, to Luka, who, while taller than her husband, was still rather slender and without any muscle mass he could see.

Then he looked at Lina, staring at her mother, and felt his mouth go dry. _No WONDER Lina hits me all the time,_ he thought in dismay.

"Sorry you had to put up with that, Lina-chan, Gourry-kun," Luka said sweetly, pocketing the fan. "My loving husband rarely gets an audience for his rants."

Gourry dared to answer. "It was really rather inspiring," he admitted.

Both Luka and Lina stared at him with identical expressions of disgust, but Delmas suddenly grinned and slapped Gourry on the back. "I LOVE this boy!" he declared.

Luka sighed. "Whatever. The part-timer has control over the store for a while; I have a few hours. Should we get started?"

"Part-timer?" Lina repeated.

Luka nodded. "He works with Luna as well. He's a rather hard worker, at that, and enjoys both jobs. Spot, remember?"

Lina blinked. "Who the hell is Spot?"

Luka smiled. "You can meet him later. Now, learning." She turned to Gourry. "You have to come in, too, since you'll be doing the muscle work, from the looks of it."

"Me?" Gourry wondered.

Both Delmas and Luka nodded. "Yes," Delmas agreed. "Since Lina-chan is the magical expert, you're going to be the one to do the physical."

Lina was nodding. "Makes sense."

Gourry frowned. "I hope I don't burn myself..." he said absently.

Luka laughed. "Oh, please. You're going to burn yourself, many many MANY times. But the trick is not to get discouraged."

Gourry smiled, looking over at Lina, who was already smiling at him. Those were the magic words. "We can do that," Lina agreed.

"Then let's start," Delmas agreed, clapping his hands together, grinning.


	7. Chapter 7

"FIREBALL!"

The bright orange blast ricocheted from Lina's outstretched hands and crashed into the heart of the forge's oven. The fires blazed, roaring with sudden light.

Lina, dressed in clothes similar to her father, her hair greased back and tied up tightly, put her hands on her hips and grinned.

A fan slapped down on top of her head, forcing her to squeal in protest. "NO!" Luka snapped, also dressed like Lina. Her eyes blazed, almost akin to the fires in the hearth. "You little idiot! You're not supposed to do that!"

Lina looked up at her mother with watery eyes. "You said LIGHT the FIRE!" she accused.

Luka bared her teeth. "Did I say with magic?"

"Did you say without?" Lina shot back.

Delmas squeezed in between them, picking Lina up not-so-gently and flinging her over his shoulder, like she was as light as a pillow. Lina squawked, then just held herself limp in his grasp. There was no use protesting that she was too old for this sort of thing.

"Luka-chan, you weren't specific," Delmas told his wife sternly. "But Lina-chan, you should no better than to light a fire in such a small area with magic." He walked over to where Gourry stood, also with greased-back hair and an apron, and dropped her on her feet in front of him. "Smarten up, both of you."

Luka sighed, and Lina sulked.

"Now, listen up. The lighting of a forge is a very delicate matter, indeed," Delmas continued, as Luka used Mosu Varium on the fires that Lina had lit. "When you light the forge, you're giving life to a beast with a mind of its own. It obeys no one, least of all the one that gives it life. If you do not contain it or show it who's boss, it WILL consume you."

Lina crossed her arms over her chest, instantly skeptic. Gourry, however, listened closely, entranced. Lina wanted to kick him.

Luka stood beside Delmas, her eyes serious. "We ourselves have learned through trial and error how to tame the flames," she said. "You, too, will learn your own limits. It's never the same for anyone. That's the first thing you need to get through your thick skulls."

Gourry blinked, but this time Lina was nodding. Apparently Luka's blunt wording was a better way to get through to her, rather than Delmas's poetry, which got through to Gourry.

Luka's eyes fell on her youngest daughter. "Lina-chan, your job is to infuse your creations with magic. Whatever the person's forte is, you need to create their weapon as such. I know your own personal strength is fire, but I also know that you have learned other spells, as well, correct?"

Lina snorted. "Of course."

"Then while Gourry-kun works a tool, you need to be the one casting the magic upon it. Even if they do not know their own strength, it's your job to not only find it, but to infuse their weapon with it." Luka's face was so serious that Lina found herself feeling a little nervous.

"For example," Luka said, her gaze falling on Gourry. "You would have to be able to figure out what Gourry-kun's specialty would be, before you make him a blade of power."

Lina and Gourry exchanged confused looks. "But, I can't use magic," Gourry admitted. "I never learned how."

Luka sighed. "Being unable and not learning how are two different things, not one," she snapped. "Lina-chan and I can sense a high capacity off of you, Gourry-kun."

Lina nodded when Gourry looked at her for confirmation. "I've told you that," she said plainly.

"I guess," Gourry shifted on his feet. "I just don't have the head for spells."

Delmas, who had been quiet, was nodding now. "I can relate to that. While my magic capacity is small, even what I have is still enough to cast a light spell. But I, too, don't have a knack for spells."

Gourry wondered about that. For someone so good with words, why couldn't Delmas cast spells? There was alot more to the man that he let everyone see, he concluded. It was probably better not to pry.

Lina scratched her chin, staring at Gourry thoughtfully. "But I can't imagine Gourry having a primary element," she admitted.

Luka smiled. "Oh, but he does. You'll find it's pretty obvious once you hit on it."

Lina blinked. "You know what it is?"

Luka rolled her eyes. "Idiot. You want us to make him a blade, and you think I can't tell what his forte is? Please."

Lina edged closer, so close that Gourry felt a little nervous. He stared back at her, and suddenly decided not to be so nervous. She looked different, smelled different, but the eyes, wide, inquisitive, and bright, were the same.

And suddenly, her eyes focused, and she groaned, slapping her hand on her forehead. "Oh, man, so many jokes," she moaned. Luka laughed, really loud.

Delmas and Gourry blinked at the two women, both confused. "I give," Delmas said. "What is it?"

"Air," Lina muttered.

Luka nodded proudly. "Exactly."

Delmas laughed. Gourry tilted his head to one side, still not getting the joke. "I think I'm missing the punchline," he said.

"You ARE the punchline," Lina answered back. She looked over at her mother. "Damn, that wasn't easy," she admitted. "I felt like I was swimming in syrup, there."

Gourry wondered if he should be insulted. "What exactly did you do?" he asked.

Lina instantly got into her lecture mode. "I'll try to keep it simple for you. Basically, when I looked at you, I tried to look INTO you as well, to see what was inside of you."

Gourry, despite himself, went pink. "Should you be saying that sort of thing in front of your parents?" he murmured.

Lina gaped at him, going red. "You are a moron," she said flatly.

Luka stepped in bravely. "Basically," she said. "Lina-chan was trying to sense something from you, from your own aura. Every human has every element within them to some degree, even people who cannot use magic; it's the one that's dominant that's the easiest to see."

"Your aura is weird, Gourry," Lina admitted. "It's like... a quilt. Alot of different things were there. But air was the most prominent."

"Oh," Gourry nodded, trying to get his head around it. He still didn't understand very much, but at least he could grasp at some things. Magic was sometimes nothing but white noise to him.

"I'm still going to kick your ass," Lina warned calmly, her eyes sparking, before she turned back to her parents. "And now what do we do?"

Delmas held up a length of thick string. "That's when you, Gourry-kun, take the basic measurements of the person, as usual." Gourry walked over and held out his right arm, and Delmas swiftly ran the string up and down, then around, then up and down again. "Your basic place is as a smith, Gourry-kun," Delmas went on. "But because magic is involved, you have to understand a bit about that, too."

Gourry sighed, dropping his arm to his side heavily. "I don't know if I can do that," he said pathetically.

"You'll learn," Delmas said gently. "It's hard at first, especially if you're not an adept, but it does get easier."

Gourry wanted to believe him, but he had his doubts.

Luka was staring at Gourry, her eyes unfocused. "I can picture the perfect blade for you, Gourry-kun," she said, her voice almost breathless. "Since you're attuned to air, and Lina-chan is attuned to fire, and since the two compliment eachother so well..." she grinned, then turned to Delmas. They clasped hands, both looking as excited as two kids in a candy store. Delmas was nodding so hard it looked painful. "I know what you're thinking, my love!" he declared.

"Care to share?" Lina wondered weakly, a little sickened by this romantic display.

Both turned to her, their hands still clasped. "A sword that amplifies fire!" Luka declared. "One that uses your magic, Lina-chan, as a boost on the blade!"

"You could even use fire to sharpen it!" Delmas agreed. "And with the added focus of your power, Gourry-kun, the blade would be even stronger!"

Lina stared for a moment, a shiver of pleasure running through her. She grinned, a huge, wide grin. "That's PERFECT!" she declared.

Gourry scratched his head. "I don't think I get it..." he admitted shyly.

Lina hopped in front of him, her eyes shining, her hands clapped in front of her. "You will, you will!" she exclaimed. "Let's start, let's start!"

Luka and Delmas changed their pose, so that their hands were out and pointing to the anvil and bench. "Park your asses, then, and let's go!" Luka replied.

Lina dragged Gourry forward to obey. She shoved him down onto the bench, then shortly followed.

And then, the real hard work began.


	8. Chapter 8

The afternoon was an entire nightmare. By the time the sun had gone down and it was (finally) time to call it a night, both Lina and Gourry were exhausted, hungry, and sporting numerous burns all over their hands and arms. Their reward? A crooked, brittle sword, one that merely spat out sparks of brown light. And not a warm brown. Imagine the worst brown possible, and that's what the colour was.

Once inside the house, Lina dropped into the closest chair, groaning loudly. Gourry shortly followed suit. Both were sooty, sweaty, and feeling severely overheated.

"All I want to eat is ice cream," Lina moaned, her eyes closed.

Gourry nodded slowly, his arm over his eyes.

"What a nightmare," Lina whined.

And indeed, it had been. It turned out that Gourry's previous blacksmithing skills weren't as up to snuff as he had thought, and had ended up wasting several blocks of metal in the process. Lina also tended to overdo it when it came to using magic, and as a result, the contents involved either broke apart or exploded. The dilapidated sword had been their only success, and obviously not much of one.

"I just don't get why your parents won't make it for us," Gourry muttered, feeling bitter. Both he and Lina sported bruises on the tops of their heads from Luka's fan, earned for every mistake they made.

"Because, Gourry-kun," a stern voice snapped out. "How will you learn if you won't do it yourself?"

Lina opened her eyes and scowled. Luna stood in the middle of the floor, grinning widely at the both of them. "Get lost!" she snapped. "We're tired and hungry. Make us dinner."

Luna's cheek twitched, but she didn't lose the smile. "Lina-chan, don't you get it? By trusting you at the forge, they're giving you the best lesson of all: a real sword, for Gourry-kun, made by the one who loves him most."

Lina blinked, looking up at her sister in surprise. "I never thought of that," she admitted.

"That's because you're an idiot," Luna replied. "Where are Papa and Mama?"

"Cleaning up," Gourry said weakly. "We made a huge mess, and when we offered, we both got hit alot."

Lina nodded slowly, her eyes watery. "Such a horrible thing to do." Gourry nodded in agreement.

Luna reached down, grabbed Lina by the front of her dirty apron, and dragged her up to her feet. Lina gulped, instinctively going as passive as she could, and Luna had to laugh.

"I'm not going to kick your ass," she replied. "I was helping you get up so that you could eat."

Lina instantly sagged in relief. "You made us food?" she said pathetically.

Luna nodded, dropping Lina to the floor. Gourry reached down, grabbed her up, and darted to the kitchen. In a second, they were both seated at the table, utensils ready.

Luna placed a bun before each of them.

Both Lina and Gourry stared at the buns in front of them.

"What the hell is this?" Lina wondered quietly.

Luna placed her hands on her hips. "An apprentice smith's fare," she said happily. "You're to eat light until you've fully trained. Enjoy!"

She cackled as she left the room.

Gourry's eyes met Lina's. Lina's hands tensed on her utensils, and Gourry licked his lips. At the same second, both lunged for eachother's fare.

Possibly the shortest and yet the most intense fight of their lives occurred at that moment. There was scrapping, swearing, many fingers up nostrils, and much hair pulled. In the end, no one won, for both were still hungry.

Lina collapsed onto the table and groaned. Gourry followed suit. This was how Luka and Delmas found them.

Luka sighed. "Luna-chan tricked you again, didn't she?" she wondered flatly.

Lina's head shot up, her eyes blazing. "WHAT?"

Delmas held up the paper back in his hands. The smell hit both Lina and Gourry a second later. Fried food. "Obviously you need to keep your strength up," he said plainly, as it if were obvious.

The younger couple were so relieved that both were grinning stupidly, tears running down their cheeks. It was probably the most ridiculous thing that either Luka or Delmas had ever seen, and yet, also the most pathetic. So as a result, it was the younger couple that got most of the feast.

When the dishes were cleared and Gourry once again regained consciousness, Lina got up and started trudging down the hallway to her bedroom. Luka stopped her with a curt shout of her name, which resulted in whining.

"Get back here, we're not done." Delmas grumbled.

Lina obeyed, but glared at both of her parents. Gourry didn't really blame her. He hadn't felt this tired in a long, long time.

"You did terribly today," Luka said shortly. "You need to work on your control, Lina-chan. You put way too much energy and magic into everything. Stop trying to show off."

Lina opened her mouth, but Delmas cut her off. "While Gourry's skills need some work, at least he doesn't act arrogant when he screws up," he said, his eyes hard. "You both obviously know how to work together; follow eachother!"

Lina went red, looking down. She was angry, tired, and now successfully berated. It was not a good night.

Gourry reached up and placed a hand on the back of her neck, softly stroking the skin at her hairline. She relaxed, closing her eyes.

"Tomorrow, bright and early, we try again," Luka said, standing up. Delmas followed. "Try not to disappoint us." On that note, they walked off.

Lina's head met the table with a loud thunk. Gourry winced.

"You know, I've always been able to be the best at something if I tried," she said quietly, her voice flat. "Even as a swordswoman I'm better than average, and it's not my forte. I had really, really thought that this would be one of my strengths...but..." she sighed, deeply.

Gourry rubbed her back slowly, leaning down and resting his head next to hers. "You just started, Lina," he said gently. "You can't expect it to be perfect already."

"I guess not," she replied, although she really had expected it. "Bed?"

Gourry nodded. "Bed."

"Help?"

With a smile, Gourry stood up and held out his arms. Lina followed suit, leaning forward and just falling into him. He scooped her up, held her close, and together they walked down the hallway to her room.

Although earlier in the day Lina had entertained the idea of spending the night intimately with Gourry, the thoughts fled her mind the moment she realised how tired she was in Gourry's arms.

 _Still,_ she thought, already half-asleep, barely feeling Gourry lie her down and pull some blankets over her. _It's a good kind of tired. It feels good...it feels...right..._

Gourry curled up next to her, and soon both were lost in sleep.

X X X

The next lesson wasn't even halfway through when something quite unexpected happened, setting it on hold for a few hours.

The first was the sound of metal on metal, so loud that it penetrated even the small, private forge. Lina heard it first, and she froze, blinking in surprise. Luka was about to smack her for stopping when she heard it too. The next sound that of male voices shouting at eachother. Both sounded familiar, and while Lina couldn't place one, the other one was as familiar as the blue sky. She grinned, uttered a squeak, and ran out of the forge before anyone could stop her.

Gourry blinked in surprise, then stood up and followed, to the chagrin of Luka and Delmas.

Lina ran towards the sound of the scuffle, edging around the house to the storefront. When she turned the corner, her eyes fell on one figure, and she yelped, before uttering the word, _"DILGEAR!"_

The shout was enough to stop the impending fight. Indeed, Spot, also known as Dilgear, stood in front of the store's counter, his sword out and pointed forward. He had lost the ridiculous leather armour and replaced it with somewhat revealing merchant clothes, but he still looked the same other than that change.

In front of him, covered head to foot in white robes and holding out a glittering sword, was the one Lina had recognised: Zelgadis.

Lina darted forward, growled loudly, and slammed an elbow down on each male's head as hard as she could. Both squawked and cowered. Situating herself firmly between the two of them, Lina decidedly ignored Dilgear and focused on Zelgadis.

"Idiot!" she snapped. "You show up here, with no warning, and then pick a fight at my own home? I should kick your ass!"

Zelgadis grumbled, rubbing his head. "I thought you would be glad to see me," he admitted sullenly.

Lina whirled around and pointed at Dilgear. "And YOU! I don't know what the hell you're doing here, but you had better get the hell out while I'm in a good mood!"

Dilgear glowered at her. "Listen, you little idiotic girl..." he began, but Gourry's shout interrupted him. Soon, all three had him surrounded.

Dilgear, reasonably, wasn't impressed. "Look, if you would all just give me some time to explain-" he pleaded, looking both alarmed and annoyed.

He didn't need it. A split second later, just as they were about to close in on the poor beastman, a blast of white-hot magic caught them all off-guard and forced them back. Like a ghost, Luna suddenly materialised behind Dilgear, her hand held out.

"Luna-san, what are you doing?" Lina demanded, her hands still out and ready to cast. "That's _Dilgear_!"

Luna sniffed. She reached out with her other hand and, to the shock of everyone, gently petted Dilgear's head. And to add further shock, Dilgear actually relaxed, closing his eyes and leaning into it. His tail was even wagging.

"This is _Spot_ , Lina-chan," Luna said calmly, though her voice was furious. "Our part-timer? Could you kindly not kill him for no reason?"

"There IS a reason," Zelgadis snapped out. "The last time we saw him, he was our enemy."

Luna gave him an appraising look. "Excuse me, but who the hell are you?" she demanded.

Lina grabbed at her head and groaned out her frustration. "Who the hell is Spot?" she shot back. "Why is Dilgear here? I'm going to FREAK OUT!"

The sound of a fan making contact with flesh interrupted the screams of rage. Luka had caught up with them, and had not only smacked Lina and Gourry, she even smacked Zelgadis, Luna, and Dilgear as well. It was quite an impressive display.

"YOU," Luka snarled, pointing her fan at Gourry and Lina, "GET BACK TO THE FORGE. YOU," this time she pointed at Dilgear and Luna, "GET BACK TO WORK. AND YOU," the fan was pointed at Zelgadis, whose eyes went wide behind the hood and cowl.

"Welcome to Zephilia!" Luka said sweetly, before glaring at him and snapping, "Stop making a scene and get the hell into the house to freshen up and have some water. We'll meet up when we're done here."

There was silence, and many upset people rubbing their heads.

"NOW!" Luka shouted.

With some grumbling and sniffles, everyone obeyed, even Zelgadis. When he walked by Lina, he muttered, "I really would like to talk to you. This isn't a pleasure trip."

This somewhat alarmed Lina, but the look in her mother's eyes was far more frightening. "Give me a few hours. We'll catch up then." She reached over, squeezed his hand, and followed her mother back the forge.

The day was probably the longest she had EVER had, and looked like it was about to get even worse.


	9. Chapter 9

It did.

Luka decided that the little detour of attention would be considered their break for the day, and thus the rest of the afternoon was spent working harder than they ever had before. By the time the sun went down, Lina was practically in tears, but it wasn't in vain: before them, cooling off in the bucket, was a very short, but very serviceable dagger.

Now Lina WAS in tears. "Oh, I can't believe it," she moaned, her hands clasped together under her chin. "If it shatters I'm going to kill myself. _Honestly_."

Gourry made a face. "Don't be dramatic," he said tiredly.

Both Luka and Delmas were standing in the background. Though neither would say it until later, both were actually just as excited. Both Lina and Gourry had taken their previous criticisms to heart and were progressing far faster than either parent had ever dreamed, let alone thought.

When Gourry could tell it was ready, carefully, he reached into the bucket and touched the hilt of the dagger gently. When he did, a tingling went right up his arm, and he shivered. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling; rather, it was akin to the best kind of adrenaline.

Lina bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "Come on, kurage, show, show."

Gourry swallowed, then gripped onto the hilt tightly. He pulled it out slowly, and once the blade was free of the water, it glittered a faint yellow colour before fading into regular shine. It needed polishing, and sharpening, but it was in one piece, and that was what counted.

Lina grinned, the tears running down her face. "Yes!" she breathed. "Now try it!"

Gourry stood up, edged a bit away, and, with a shout, swung his arm down as hard as he could. The short blade burst into life, flashing yellow, before it faded once more.

Lina held out her hands, a spark of fire coming to life between them. "Hold it up!" she cried. Gourry did so, and Lina fired the magic straight at the blade. Instead of breaking, or exploding, the flames enveloped it and ran up and down the blade. It shone with a bright and breathtaking orange-yellow colour.

" _YES!_ " Lina crowed, jumping up and flinging her arms around Gourry. Holding his arm away from her, he gave her a tight one-armed hug, laughing at the giggling and happy sounds she was making.

Luka nodded, shooting a smirk at Delmas. Delmas closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, then sighed, reached into his pocket, and held out a coin. Luka took it and pocketed it with a grin.

Lina pulled away and stared at the glowing dagger, her eyes bright. "We did it. Now all we need to do is make a sword like this!"

Gourry nodded. He could feel the sword's power all throughout his body, especially in his arm. It was a familiar and welcome feeling. He hadn't felt this connected to a sword since the Sword of Light. It took his breath and words away.

Slowly, the light vanished, and Lina reached forward and touched the blade gingerly. Her eyes were glowing with amazement. "It's sharper," she whispered.

"That's crazy," Gourry admitted.

Luka clapped her hands once. "It's not crazy," she snapped, breaking the two out of their reverie. "It's success." She smiled. "You can put that down and come inside for food."

Gourry's mouth watered, and Lina shrieked, "FOOD!" before running out of the forge in a flash. Gourry wrapped the blade in an oiled rag and gently placed it on the bench before he moved to follow.

Deep down inside, he was just as happy as Lina was, but there was something else, something deeper. There was a sadness there, realising that he finally had a replacement for a sword that he had trouble admitting he would never get back. Alot of his skill and confidence had been because of the Sword of Light, and without it, he felt strangely weak and useless.

But now that he and Lina had managed to combine their skills and make a dagger, it not only made him feel useful, but it also made him realise that it wasn't the sword; it was _him_.

Delmas slapped a hand down on Gourry's shoulder, startling him out of his reverie. "You know something?" he said seriously. "That sword you had, the one you loathed at first; you thought it made you who you were, huh?"

Gourry gaped at him. "What... how did you know I hated it at first?"

Delmas shifted from foot to foot. "Blame my old age, but it took me a while to place where I've seen you before. You're not a stranger, Gourry-kun. I met you many years ago. Don't you remember?"

Gourry shook his head, blushing. "I really, really don't."

Delmas laughed and ruffled the younger man's hair, messing up its sleek appearance. "That's alright. The point is, I know how you feel. It's hard to get over the loss of your first sword, but once you do, it's like you realise who you are deep down."

Gourry nodded, amazed. "That's exactly right," he agreed.

Luka cut in. "Can't we discuss this over food?" she demanded. "I'm starving, and if we don't get back, Lina will eat the whole house."

The men nodded. Delmas gave Gourry's shoulder a squeeze, and to his shock, Gourry felt, for the first time in his life, what it was like to actually have a father-figure, one that cared about you.

He smiled, and followed, feeling light, despite his exhaustion.

X X X

" _GET OUT,_ " Lina shouted, her hands out, twin orbs of fire bursting to life.

" _Make me, little brat!_ " Dilgear snapped back, his sword out and ready.

Zelgadis, from his place on the couch, sighed and tried to blend into the fabric.

"What is that you're wearing?" Dilgear demanded. "Is that the latest fashion for underdeveloped little kids who have no sex appeal?"

Lina scowled. "What are YOU wearing?" she snapped back. "Cast-aways from the preschool? Can you ever find anything that fits your hugely misshapen body?"

Dilgear's eyes blazed. Lina's face was set in a dark expression.

Just as Dilgear was about to lunge forward, a blast of white light burst between them, knocking them away from eachother. Luna stood in the front door, her hand out, her face impassive.

Lina turned on her sister in an instant. "Why are you blasting me?" she demanded. "I'm not the idiot ugly puke-coloured werewolf!"

Dilgear growled. "WHAT?" he snapped.

Luna shot him a look, and he cowered, backing away. Lina stared, then pointed and laughed. "You have him trained like a little puppy!" she cackled.

Zelgadis didn't have alot to go from when it came to Luna and Lina's relationship, but from what Lina had said in the past, their relationship wasn't one of jovial playing. So he wasn't entirely surprised when he heard, from his place on the couch, a blast of magic and Lina's screams of terror coming from the main hallway.

When he ventured to peer over the back of the couch, he saw Lina cowering in the corner, muttering under her breath, hiding her head in her arms and hugging her knees. Dilgear submitted to a whack upside the head, but that was all, and Luna strode into the kitchen and started to cook.

During the time that Lina and Gourry had been gone, Zelgadis and Dilgear, following Dilgear's shift, had gone through their own display of animosity and tense anger, but in the end, had patched it up, when Dilgear admitted that he had no idea that Rezo had planned to destroy the world (more or less). While they hadn't become friends, they had been able to spend an hour waiting for Luna without incident, playing cards.

It was only when Lina came bursting into the house demanding food that Dilgear's old self returned to the surface. And, well, you know the rest.

When Gourry, Delmas, and Luka came in, Gourry instantly glared at Dilgear, who, from the kitchen, glared back and made a face. At the sight of the werewolf pulling a face, Gourry couldn't help but chuckle at the stupidity of it, and that instantly broke the tension for the rest of the evening.

Once dinner was eaten and cleaned up, and Gourry and Lina had had time to freshen up, they both sat down with Zelgadis, who finally felt comfortable to remove the cowl and hood during dinner (with little to no reaction, he was surprised to discover).

"What's up, Zel?" Lina wondered, blinking at him.

Zelgadis shifted uncomfortably. He knew that the rest of the Inverse family (as well as Dilgear) were just in the kitchen, and he wasn't sure how much he wanted them to hear of this... delicate situation.

"I, um, may have ruined everything," he blurted out, his face going red.

Lina blinked, and Gourry tilted his head to one side. "Everything of what?" Lina wondered. She was still pretty tired, and thus was easy to confuse.

Zelgadis sighed, burying his face into his hands and leaning forward. "It's very complicated," he murmured. "I really had no idea what to do, and I remember you mentioning that you were coming back here, so..."

Lina reached forward and touched his shoulder. "Zel, you know you're one of my closest friends," she said honestly. "You can talk to me about anything."

"Especially kidnapping!" Dilgear suddenly shouted from the kitchen.

Lina glared at him. "What did you say?" she snarled.

Gourry jumped in hurriedly. "Exactly, Zel," he said. "Lina's right. You can count on us for anything."

Zelgadis slowly pulled his hands away, and to the shock of both sitting in front of him, his eyes were wet. In all of the years of knowing him, it was very, very rare for Zelgadis to show his sadness as anything other than rage. The sight of such open, raw emotion rendered both Lina and Gourry speechless.

"What happened, Zel?" Lina finally said softly, rubbing his shoulder.

Zelgadis sighed, smiling bitterly. "It's about me, and Amelia," he said.

Lina leaned back, dropping her hand. Gourry tilted his head to the other side.

"You know how I followed her home," Zelgadis said quietly, his eyes lowered and fixed on his hands. "We had a long talk, and we both decided, you know, to give it a try... to give us a try..." he smiled weakly. "It was really good, you know, at first. I was able to get over things, able to see past them. But then..."

Lina held her breath. Zelgadis's confidence was such a brittle thing, she knew. It didn't take much to shatter it.

"I heard muttering while I was there, when I wasn't with Amelia," his face darkened. "Things about Amelia bringing home a 'monster who's not even human' and so on. And alot of incredulous 'what is she thinking's. And..." Zelgadis lowered his head. "It's hard to ignore that."

Lina grabbed one of his hands tight. "You left again in anger and hurt, didn't you?" she wondered softly.

Zelgadis nodded. "Only we had gotten... really close."

Gourry went pink, and suddenly it was apparent how silent the entire house was. Apparently Zelgadis's words apparently were entrancing enough for those who didn't know him as well.

Lina swallowed. "Really close?" she repeated.

Zelgadis nodded. "Really, _really_ close..." he muttered.

Lina bit her lip. "Ah, Zel... how could you have left her like that? Especially someone like Amelia, who's so emotional!" She resisted the urge to smack him, but only just.

Zelgadis shook his head. "I know that! But it wasn't just because of what they said about me..." He looked up, his eyes still full, but they were set. "Lina, Gourry, you have to understand me, here: I don't want her to sully herself because of what I am."

Lina blinked hard, and Gourry rubbed the back of his head. "You really think that Seyruun's people are that close-minded?" he wondered.

Zelgadis nodded. "The person is smart; people are close-minded, judgmental, and hate all change. And it's not just that. Amelia is a princess," he gritted his teeth. "And right now, the crown princess. If I were to marry her, we would need to provide an heir... and... I can't."

Lina jolted. "You can't... you know?"

Gourry was confused. "But you just said..."

Zelgadis went bright red again. "Augh, no, I can, but I can't..." he dropped Lina's hand and tugged at his hair. "I can't father any children. I'm sterile. Is that blunt enough?"

Lina nodded slowly, her hand going to her chin in thought. Her mind was drawn to someone else, someone that she wish she could get a hold of, one that she hadn't bothered to try to find for many years but now wished she had tried harder. It would solve all of this with one swing.

Gourry, however, still didn't get it. "So you can, but you can't, but... which one can you, and which one can't you?"

Lina slapped the back of his head. "Just shut up!" she snapped. She turned back to Zelgadis. "Did you TELL her that?"

Zelgadis hesitated, then shook his head. Lina groaned. "You just LEFT?" she demanded. When he nodded, Lina stood up and smashed her fist onto the top of his head, as hard as she could. It hurt, and the impact reverberated up and down her arm, but dammit, he had EARNED it. "You MORON!"

Zelgadis cowered, holding his hands to his head. "I know that," he said pathetically. "I came here for support, not abuse."

"Support _denied!_ " Lina snapped. "You can't treat Amelia like that! She's always accepted you for who you are, and you go and pull a stunt like this? _Shame on you!_ "

Zelgadis seemed to deflate further, hiding his head in his arms.

"However," Gourry cut in. "He does have a point. If he can't have kids, he can't give Amelia an heir. Without an heir, Seyruun's future is cloudy."

Lina glowered at him. "No!" she snapped. "I don't care! He left without even TELLING her WHY! That's just... arrrgh!" Lina gave Zelgadis another smack on the head, then turned and stormed out of the room, muttering as she did so. Soon, the door to her room slammed shut.

Zelgadis looked up. "I guess I deserved that," he admitted.

Gourry sighed. "Yeah, you did. You should have told her. She would have understood."

Zelgadis made a face. "That's the problem. I don't want her to understand. I want her to hate me."

Gourry blinked in surprise. "You want her to what?"

"Hate me," Zelgadis repeated. "That way, she can move on with her life, find a real husband, and have an heir."

Gourry stared. The silence in the room was deafening. Then, in a move that surprised everyone, Gourry slammed a fist down onto the top of Zelgadis's head, hard. The chimera yelped, but didn't protest.

"Idiot," Gourry said. "You know she won't. You're pretty stupid, you know that?"

Zelgadis sighed in reply.

Luka's voice suddenly broke in. "Gentlemen, while this is great and cheap entertainment, it is getting late."

Gourry nodded, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, no kidding." Luka walked over to where the two men sat. "Zelgadis-kun, would you like to stay here for the night?" she wondered.

Zelgadis looked up and nodded. "I'm a little broke right now, and would appreciated it," he admitted.

Luka nodded. "Get to the spare room. Pajamas are in the chesterfield. YOU," she pointed at Gourry. "BED! You have an early morning again!"

Gourry nodded and obeyed, listening to the sounds of Luka directing Luna, Dilgear, and Delmas to various places (Dilgear was kicked out for the evening). When he reached Lina's room, he knocked softly, then listened. Nothing. Carefully, he opened the door and walked in.

Lina was curled up on the floor in a ball, buried under piles of blankets. Her back was to him, and if he strained his hearing, he could hear her sniffling. He walked over, knelt down, and touched her shoulder lightly.

She didn't move, but she snapped out, "How can Zelgadis be such an _asshole?_ " Her voice was trembling. "If a pair like them can't even work it out, what makes us think WE can?"

Gourry stood up, jumped over her, and knelt down again so that he was facing her. Her eyes glared up from the blankets, shining with her anger and tears. "If someone like Zelgadis can hurt someone like Amelia, what makes me think that you won't do the same to me?"

Gourry crossed his arms over his chest. "First of all, I'm attached to you, whether you like it or not. I've put up with alot from you; what makes you think I wouldn't put up with more?"

Lina's eyes narrowed. "That's not what I'm saying-"

"You're suggesting that I would abandon you," he interrupted. "Or that I would break your heart. I though you had realised that by now I'm not going anywhere." He reached down and wiped her tears away gently. "Don't be scared," he went on, his voice gentler. "They'll work it out."

Lina closed her eyes, flung the blankets away, and jumped on him, flinging her arms around him and forcing him down to the floor. Gourry blinked, hugging her close, and he could feel her trembling.

"I'm tired," she croaked out, her voice thick with tears. "I'm crying because I'm tired."

"Of course," Gourry smiled, closing his eyes and stroking her hair.

"I'm so _tired_..." she murmured, and this time her voice was different. He listened, and realised that this time, she wasn't using her words to cover up her feelings; she was being serious.

He wanted to ask her what she was tired of, but it could wait. Instead, he held her, listening to her, being there for her, which was all he could do.

 _In the morning,_ he thought, _we'll get to the bottom of this._


	10. Chapter 10

In the middle of the night, Lina woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, and she yawned, rubbing at her sore eyelids gingerly. She knew it was still night (or early morning?), but she also knew that, like before, she wouldn't be able to get to sleep. She slid out of Gourry's grasp and left the room, seeking comfort in cold water.

When she had her glass and went to sit down and maybe play some solitaire, she found the couch already occupied. Zelgadis, clad in pajamas far too big for his slight frame, looked up. Lina sighed, walked over, and sat down beside him. There was a short silence between them, before Zelgadis surprised her and leaned over, resting his head carefully on her shoulder.

Lina looked down at him in shock, but bit back what she was going to say when she saw the look on his face: his eyes were shut, and his mouth was a grim line, his teeth gritted. Lina shifted closer, put her arms around him, and hugged him. He trembled, but didn't make a sound.

 _It's a night of tears,_ she thought sadly, resting her cheek carefully on Zelgadis's wiry hair. _I've been stupid. He knows he's messed up. Punishing him is just cruel._

They sat together for a while, taking comfort, until finally Zelgadis cleared his throat and pulled away, rubbing his eyes a little roughly. Lina looked at him, and he looked back. She offered a small smile.

"I don't want to travel anymore," she admitted suddenly. Zelgadis's hands dropped from his face in his surprise. "I want to stop. I want to set down roots, with Gourry."

"But... you're always travelling," Zelgadis said, his voice hoarse. "You're a nomad."

Lina nodded, her smile sad. "I know. But I think I'm bored with that, now. It just feels like there's more to life than that, you know? Gourry... he's taking over... and that's why I was so mad at you, Zel." She looked up at him. "Because... I'm scared."

"You? Scared?" he wondered. He wasn't teasing.

She nodded, her eyes wide. Zelgadis leaned back. "I guess your anger makes sense," he admitted. "But why are you scared?"

"Because!" she suddenly snapped, her hands clenched into fists. "Because love is fleeting! Because it fades! Because... because... we could mess up, lose everything! Because... because he could die before me!"

Zelgadis blinked. "Die before you?" he repeated.

"Yes!" she cried. "I don't think I could watch him die! I'm scared... of that."

"It's a long way off, Lina," Zelgadis said plainly.

"I know," Lina smiled weakly. "I'm worrying after shadows, but I can't help it. So when you told me what happened with you and Amelia... it terrified me."

"I'm sorry," Zelgadis said honestly.

"Me, too," she agreed.

Zelgadis sighed, literally sagging. "What should I do?" he wondered, sounding helpless.

Lina gave him a stern look. "Go back to her," she answered simply.

Zelgadis nodded slowly. He leaned over, gave her a kiss on the cheek, then got to his feet. "I think I'm going to try to sleep," he said softly. Lina nodded, touching his hand lightly as he walked by.

"Hey, Zel?" she called after him.

"Mm?" he stopped, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Was it everything you hoped for, everything that you thought it would be?" she wondered seriously, her face sombre, her voice soft.

Zelgadis smiled a little, his eyes wavering. He looked down. "And more," he murmured. "G'night."

"Night."

When he was gone, and she heard the sound of the spare room door click shut, she sighed. She gulped down the rest of the water in a rush, got to her feet, and went back to her bedroom.

Gourry was sitting up, his eyes wide in the dim light. "I was worried," he admitted as a greeting, "but I figured you would be okay."

Lina walked over, knelt in front of him, and said, very calmly, "Gourry, I'm tired."

Gourry smiled, placing a hand on her cheek. "I know. Let's get back to sleep."

"No," she snapped, pushing his hand away. "I'm tired of moving around. I'm tired of travelling."

Gourry stared at her, his mouth open a little. He blinked, his eyes huge. "You are?"

"I am," she nodded.

Gourry blinked, then smiled. It was a bright, relieved smile. "Good," he said, relaxing.

Lina was the one to stare this time. "Good?"

He nodded. "Yup. I mean, before we came here, we talked about it, and that made me happy, but now that we're on the same page, yeah, it's good!"

"Same page?" Lina echoed, feeling stupid. She had been expecting a fight, or, at the least, that he would try to talk her out of it.

Gourry nodded, leaning back with a wide smile. "Ah, think of it," he said softly, his eyes fixed on some point above them. "If we master this apprenticeship, we could open up our own little shop somewhere out in nowhere..." His eyes glittered a little at the very idea of it.

Lina stared at him. Then, with a blank expression on her face, she reached forward and grabbed onto the side of his cheek, pulling as hard as she could. Gourry yelped, but managed to keep his voice low.

"I hate you," she declared, her eyes flashing. "You NEED to start speaking up, you know that?"

Gourry tried to talk around her hand, but failed miserably at it. With a grunt, she let go, and he tried again. "But, Lina, it's always better when you take the lead," he admitted. "Because that way, we're still together."

Lina frowned, her hands in her lap. "But-" Gourry placed a finger to her lips. "We need to sleep. Talk more tomorrow?" he offered. He pulled his finger away, lying down on the floor again. Lina blinked, then shortly followed, cuddling up next to him.

When she listened to his breathing turn to snores, she smiled, a wide, unrestrained grin. A flutter of joy erupted in her tummy, and she curled up closer, chasing him into sleep.

X X X

The next morning, very early in the day, Zelgadis left for Seyruun. When Lina questioned him about what he would do, he hadn't replied, but he looked ashamed and sad, still. She wondered if there really was anything that he could do or say that would make a difference.

Still, while Zelgadis had been a welcome distraction, he had still been a distraction, and now that he had left, it was time to get back into the nitty-gritty of things.

Both Lina and Gourry had been working for almost a week now, and both were getting tired and frustrated. The dagger from the previous day had been the only ray of sunshine amidst alot of dark annoyance. If anything, instead of making Lina take advantage of their success, it made her want to work harder and harder, until Gourry finally had a sword.

For the next couple of days that passed, Lina was like a demon bent on chaos. She was bossy, furious, and occasionally would take the hammer from Gourry and do the adjustments herself.

Luka and Delmas, while not exactly happy with this, did nothing to interfere with it. Gourry eventually had to ask why. Luka shrugged. "You're both finding your way, you know," she replied over the sound of Lina's hammering and cursing. "You should feel grateful; she wants to help you. She wants you to be happy."

Gourry shot a look at the woman in question, and realised that it looked more like she wanted to kill things. He blanched, but Luka smiled.

"Listen to her," Delmas grunted. "Lina-chan is practically her clone."

That wasn't a comforting thought.

Lina's reasoning on her sudden flurry was simple: the visit with Zelgadis had spooked her to the core, and she wanted to succeed, and to know that she COULD succeed, so that she and Gourry could build their lives together. The sadness in Zelgadis's eyes, and most damning, the envy that was also there, disturbed her, and kept her working.

They worked, sunrise to sunset, for a full three days, with little rest and alot of shouting and frustration. Luka and Delmas only stepped in when it looked like a real fight would break out between them, brought on by exhaustion and irritation.

By the end of the second week, they had a sword. It was a huge achievement, the last of a string of broken ones, and it was completed weeks earlier than Luka and Delmas had anticipated (both had to pay Luna a consideration sum as a result).

The sword was, Lina realised, beautiful. It was the end of the last day, and Gourry was slowly pulling the blade from the bucket and drying it gently with a soft towel. The hilt was a finely designed work, enchanted with a few spells for amplification. The design was a simple one: a rectangle with two spirals on either end, the sword placed between, and it was in silver instead of gold (which Lina had argued about with Luka, who insisted that silver was better for Air magic and had eventually won).

The blade itself was broad, but not too wide, narrowed only at the tip for sharp thrusts. While unpolished, it gleamed in the flickering light of the forge, and occasionally a glitter of faint butter-yellow light would dance up and down the blade.

Gourry's mouth was dry. When he held the sword, he felt like he was holding the last piece of a puzzle. Lina's eyes shone with admiration and happiness, her hands clasped before her.

The forge was silent, spellbound in their shared awe and relief.

"You gonna name it?" Delmas wondered suddenly, forcing everyone to jump a few feet in the air.

Lina made a face. "Daddy, not everyone is weird and names everything."

Luka nodded. "That's true. I still won't forgive you for naming the teapot Joseph."

Gourry seemed to take the question seriously, however. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm not too good with names."

"Name it Butter Blade," Lina quipped, sticking out her tongue at Delmas.

"Lina-chan, take this seriously!" Delmas snapped. "Once you name a blade, it comes to life! It because your own, a blade of power! Only you can be the one to wield it, only you can be the one to truly understand it and respect-"

Luka calmly smacked him upside the head, halting his speech in mid-flight. He jolted, rubbed his head, and shot a poisonous glare at her, but she just avoided his gaze and started whistling.

Gourry chewed on his lip. His eyes met Lina's. "Wanna test it out?" he wondered.

Her eyes lit up. _"Yes,"_ she breathed out.

"HOLD IT," Delmas snapped, just as they were about to dash out into the back. "Hello? Have you learned nothing? Sparring with an unfinished sword is homicide to the sword!"

"It's magical," Luka said. "Lina-chan wants to sharpen it with magic."

"PARK YER ASS," Delmas snapped, pointing at Gourry. Shocked, his legs just gave out, and he barely managed to park said rear on the bench. "POLISH THAT SWORD, NOW!"

Needless to say, Gourry and Lina both obeyed, which resulted in a sword far more brilliant than either had anticipated. _Daddy had been right,_ Lina realised. _Something like this really does need a name._

Gourry, however, had lost his desire to spar with Lina, let alone name anything, so they put it on hold for the night. Once they were fed, cleaned up, and in bed, Lina had figured that Gourry would be out like a light in no time. But to her surprise, once she was settled, he leaned over and gave her a kiss on her ear, sending tingles up and down her spine.

"Gourry," she murmured, tired herself. "Get lost. Sleepy."

Gourry chuckled, brushing her hair away from her neck and kissing her there. She sighed, closing her eyes. "Gourry..." she murmured again, this time not out of annoyance.

He smiled, looking up at her. His eyes shone. "I love hearing my name sound like that," he admitted.

Lina smiled and played with his bangs. "Keep doing stuff like that and it's all you'll hear," she replied.

"Lina," he said, the smile fading. "We never really had a chance to talk about this, but, when the sword is finished, what do we do?"

Lina blinked. It was a good question. "Well, we start looking for a place to set up shop," she said.

"Here?" Gourry wondered, twirling her hair around his fingers idly.

Lina shook her head, looking ill at the very thought. "I don't think I could stomach seeing Luna-san and Dilgear on a regular basis," she admitted. "I was thinking of a place that's somewhat obscure, some place that's not in one town, but near a few, some place easy to find?"

Gourry nodded, his eyes shining. "That sounds perfect. Should we go to the New World?"

Lina chewed on her lip. "Maybe a little bit outside of the border. Now that magic is going to spread, it'll probably be good to get a head-start on it, you know? Establish a name?"

He nodded, feeling a bubble of excitement deep in his gut. He edged closer to her. "Yes, exactly," he agreed, his voice soft, his arms lazily going around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

Lina laughed. "You're acting like I'm talking dirty to you," she teased.

Gourry shook his head. "The idea of this is exciting," he admitted. "I can't help but feel energized by it."

Lina turned to him, looping her arms around his neck. "Kiss me," she demanded, smiling widely.

He did kiss her, and more. It seemed to seal the deal.


	11. Chapter 11

As if it were a reward all in itself, Luna had decided to ambush Lina once again for another pre-dawn knife-fight. She slowly edged the door open and peered in through the crack.

Snores filled the air, as well as some incoherently muttering on behalf of her younger sister. When she nudged the door open wider, she winced, her face burning. Although most of the two were covered in blankets, there was ample evidence to suggest that both Lina and Gourry were wearing less than usual. Both were tangled together, looking oddly content at such a contorted achievement. Gourry's cheek was resting on Lina's collarbone, drooling to affect on her chest, while Lina's arms and legs were entwined with Gourry, her hands tangled in his hair.

However, despite it being embarrassing, Luna had to admit that they both looked so...peaceful. So content, so open and innocent in their slumber. If she looked at Lina closer, she could see that, even in her sleep, the younger girl was smiling faintly.

Luna slowly backed out of the doorway, sheathing her butcher knife at her side. She shut the door, took a breath, then shrugged, smiling a little, before walking back down the hallway and into the kitchen to get ready for a new day.

X X X

Lina uttered a shout and flung a blast of fire at Gourry. With a cry of his own, he dove towards it, both hands holding the hilt of his new sword tightly. He swung his arms down, slicing the fireball in half, forcing it to vanish. When the blade touched the magic, it glittered.

Lina wiped her brow. It was afternoon, and she and Gourry had only been up about an hour. Her parents had let them sleep in as a reward, and after a late breakfast, were now in the backyard testing out their new creation.

The sun was hot, however, and Lina was getting overheated pretty fast. "That was a good hit, Gourry," she said, smiling a little.

Gourry touched the blade gingerly. "It's sharper," he said with a tinge of awe.

Lina smiled. "It should be!" she replied. "Did you focus like I suggested?"

Before they had begun, Lina had run a few pointers by Gourry, mostly about how to focus his energy into the blade in order to make it more powerful. It hadn't been easy, he realised, especially not as easy as Lina made it look when she did it herself. But then, Lina had years of practise, and Gourry was just starting out. For the short time, both felt that he had made considerable progress.

In response to her question, he nodded slowly. "Yeah, but I think it gave me a headache," he admitted sheepishly.

Lina, however, nodded sympathetically. "Get used to it," she replied. "As you practise, it's going to get worse until you find a way to ease out of it and get more control."

Gourry frowned. "That sucks," he said bluntly.

A sudden blast of lightning startled them out of their discussion. Both turned towards the sound. Apparently Luka had busted another potential shoplifter.

Lina, despite herself, had to smile. "It's nice to be home, and I do love my family, but to be honest, I'm looking forward to getting on the road again, and to find a place of our own."

Gourry nodded, sheathing the sword carefully at his hip. The scabbard was a plain leather one, for now; Lina had decided in the forge that she would make a better one once they found a place to live. "This place is so busy!" he exclaimed. "I don't think I've ever been in a place with this many people for so long."

Lina tilted her head at him. "Your hometown isn't this populated?" she wondered carefully.

Gourry's face darkened, and he looked away, saying nothing. When Lina opened her mouth to apoligise, he said, "More like, it's not a friendly place, and people don't want to spend time together just for fun."

Lina's eyes focused. "You're from Elmekia," she realised. Gourry started, his face going pale, and she nodded. "I had suspected it, but never made the connection." She looked closer at him. "You seem the complete opposite of the average Elmekian, Gourry."

Gourry laughed shortly. "That's the greatest compliment you could ever give me," he snapped out.

Lina closed the distance and touched his cheek lightly. "I'm sorry," she said.

Gourry closed his eyes and sighed. "No, I knew you would find out eventually," he admitted. "I just hoped you wouldn't think badly of me when you did."

Lina slapped his cheek lightly. "Nothing changes, kurage," she chided with a smile. Gourry made a whining noise, as if she had slapped him hard, and she laughed.

There was a companionable silence, between them, both going quiet to enjoy the beautiful day and listen to the shrieks and hollers of Luka's indignation.

"Did you want to stay for the wine festival?" Lina wondered absently, toying with Gourry's braid.

Gourry looked over at her. "What did you want to do?"

Lina sighed, giving the braid a hard tug. "I'm asking you, you moron," she snapped.

Gourry staggered. "I, uh, don't have an opinion?" he smiled lamely, and she glared at him. "Okay, okay; I want to head out as soon as we can. I'm pretty tired, and would like to relax, with you...alone, you know?"

Lina put her hands on her hips. "Was that so damned hard?" she demanded.

Gourry rubbed his head. "Yes," he said sulkily.

Lina punched his shoulder. Gourry responded by shoving her away. She stumbled, reeled back and kicked his shins. He yelped and hopped around, then darted forward and tripped her.

And thus a whole new kind of sparring began.

X X X

It took a few more days to finally establish where Lina and Gourry would settle. Lina and Luka were the main researchers, both women using their sharp merchant minds and cutthroat strategies to the test in order to find a perfect, and most profitable, location. Delmas and Gourry, who were only mildly interested, discussed the possibility of different names for the new sword, coming up with sometimes foolish ideas instead of real ones (especially when alcohol was involved).

In the end, Luka and Lina both agreed on a place in the south, only a few towns into the New World. It was located in a sparsely populated area, but it also straddled two borders, which means that at least two towns had to know about them in order for them to build there.

Since both Luka and Gourry knew of Lina's less-than-ascetic taste when it came to architecture, it was decided that once they had found the perfect spot on that land, Lina would send to Zephilia for some contractors to build there. It was a huge help, but Luka shot that away, declaring, "No one will touch anything of yours unless I approve of them, Lina-chan." Her gaze instantly was on Gourry, and he jolted, swallowing hard. "You know that."

Lina waved a hand at her, still poring over several maps. "Yes yes yes," she said boredly, completely oblivious to Luka's double-meaning. "Whatever."

After that, the rest was pretty straight-forward. Once they found the perfect spot (a nice, shaded area surrounded by trees, but also nearby a small town, situated on a main pathway), they summoned the contractors and got to work. Lina tried, several times, to dictate the way it was being built, but Gourry managed to override her each time, to the relief of everyone but her.

It was quite the building. Similar to her own childhood home, it was two stories as well. However, the bottom level was the widest and split into two parts: the front end was the main store front, while the back was the main home. The upper level had three spare bedrooms and a water closet, used mostly for storage or guests, while the bottom level, complete with kitchen, dining room, master bedroom, and water closet, was used as the living area.

The storefront was modest, and Lina knew it would be a crowded place once it was full of wares, but it was charming. It was rectangular, complete with a counter and pegged-wall, and a small storage room in the back. It had huge windows in the front, ready for any kind of display that they could think of.

In the back, Lina commissioned for a small forge a few metres away from the house. It was small, intimate, but certainly effective, and both Gourry and Lina were satisfied with it.

Once the entire house was full of furniture, supplies, and a few items they had already made, they moved from the closest inn into their new home.

The first thing Lina did was walk in and leave her belongings lying around on the floor. Gourry scowled, but Lina was innocent about it. "It's how I make a space mine," she admitted.

That night, their first night together in their new home, they lay tucked in together, smushed together like two dumplings. Both were elated by how things turned out, and despite Lina's grumbling about how her hard-earned nest-egg was now vanished, they still had some money left over to survive a few skint months if need be. But best of all, in as little as a few months, they had done it; they had started their shared life together.

"Gourry," Lina whispered suddenly, feeling him drift off in her arms. "Are you happy?"

Gourry stirred, made a face, and muttered, "No, I'm miserable."

Lina smacked him, and he snorted and laughed, before diving in close to her and kissing her. She kissed him back, but smacked him again for good measure.

It was the first night of the rest of their lives. And everyone knows that, of course, there's no place like home. Especially if you made that home yourself, with your own blood, sweat and tears. Which, you know as well as I do, that they both had.

So for a while, there was quiet. For a while, there was routine. And eventually, there was some other interesting events that added to the spice of their lives. It would be a decade and a half before there was any real conflict, but they had no way of knowing that. They just lived their lives together, as best they could.

Which, of course, is all anyone can do, don't you think?


End file.
